Additional Coverage:
- Former flight attendant posed as a pilot and got hundreds of free flights, U.S. authorities say (nbcnews.com)
Former Flight Attendant Accused of Impersonating Pilot for Free Flights
HONOLULU – A former flight attendant from Canada has been indicted on wire fraud charges after allegedly impersonating a commercial pilot and a current flight attendant to secure hundreds of free flights from U.S. airlines.
Dallas Pokornik, 33, of Toronto, was apprehended in Panama and extradited to the U.S., where he pleaded not guilty on Tuesday. The indictment, filed in federal court in Hawaii last October, details a four-year scheme.
According to court documents, Pokornik, who worked for a Toronto-based airline from 2017 to 2019, allegedly used fake employee identification from that carrier to obtain discounted or free tickets typically reserved for pilots and flight attendants on three other airlines.
Prosecutors revealed that Pokornik even went as far as requesting to occupy the “jump seat” in the cockpit, a seat usually reserved for off-duty pilots. It remains unclear from court documents whether he ever actually rode in a plane’s cockpit.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office declined to comment further on this detail.
The indictment did not specifically name the airlines involved, only stating they are based in Honolulu, Chicago, and Fort Worth, Texas. Representatives for Hawaiian Airlines, United Airlines, and American Airlines, which are headquartered in those respective cities, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Air Canada, based in Toronto, also did not provide a comment.
A U.S. magistrate judge ordered Pokornik to remain in custody. His federal defender declined to comment on the case.
This case bears a striking resemblance to the plot of “Catch Me If You Can,” the film depicting Frank Abagnale’s real-life story of impersonating a pilot to defraud an airline and obtain free travel. The allegations against Pokornik highlight concerns surrounding airline security and employee identification protocols.
The incident also brings to mind a separate event in 2023, where an off-duty airline pilot, Joseph Emerson, riding in the cockpit of a Horizon Air flight, attempted to cut the engines midflight, stating “I’m not OK.” Emerson, who later told police he was struggling with depression, was sentenced to time served last November.