FBI: American Airlines FA Set Plane Fire

Oct 06, 2023

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has arrested an American Airlines flight attendant suspected of starting a fire during a flight.

In a statement released by the FBI on Wednesday, Johnathan Tafoya-Montano has been charged with "destruction of aircraft or aircraft facilities and [making] false statements or entries generally."

According to the FBI, Tafoya-Montano reported a fire in the rear lavatory aboard an American flight from Dallas to Detroit on February 1.

Tafoya-Montano, who was a member of the flight's cabin crew, extinguished the fire, and the aircraft landed safely in Detroit.

No injuries resulting from the incident have been reported.

According to the FBI statement, an investigation concluded that Tafoya-Montano actually set the fire himself.

Court documents indicate that Tafoya-Montano admitted to using a green Bic lighter to ignite paper towels in the lavatory before pretending to discover the fire and extinguish it, NBC News reported.

Tafoya-Montano has been released on bond but is prohibited from flying without permission from the court.

In a statement to Business Insider, American Airlines wrote, "We take this matter very seriously and have been cooperating with law enforcement throughout their investigation."