A very troubling video has surfaced of an American Airlines pilot who abused his position by foisting his Christian testimony on a full plane, including graphic details of sexual exploits, his so-called conversion from homosexuality, and even an expression of suicidal thoughts. He is not fit to fly an airplane.
American Airlines Pilot Offers Graphic Details On His Sexual History To Captive Audience
Start by watching the video, which is not remotely appropriate for young children:
Is it possible this whole video is fabricated? I just cannot believe my ears.
Here’s a sample of what he says:
I was raped or molested as a young boy. It happened…I was left to deal with it alone…I screamed to God every night that He would take away my sins and thoughts and resulting homosexual tendencies. My life kept spiraling out of control. I became a sexual addict and turned to pornorpgrahy.
I’m sorry if you are uncomfortable. I just want you to hear me out. I’m not trying to tell you what to do.
I thought sexual thoughts about both men and women and started messing around with others who had similar tendencies. The only way I knew how to survive was to perform…every aspect of my life was filled with lies.
I even started thinking of ways to end my life so that I would not hurt anyone else.
He then shares of how he became a pilot. He started as a gate agent, then enrolled in flight training, then became a flight instructor for a regional airline after finishing flight school.
But then he returned to his sexual troubles:
During this whole time I am searching for answers in terms of my sexual trauma and sexuality. I got married to a woman almost five years ago. I could not tell her about my pain and struggle with homosexuality. Even though I was in love with her.
Just over one year into the marriage I began to give into the pressure of being gay. I asked other gay crew members questions about their lifestyle and what led them to becoming gay. Pretty soon I was taking part in that lifestyle. I would have sex with men and come home from work trips and pretend nothing happened…
Ultimately, I want to share the love of Christ with you. If you feel uncomfortable that’s fine, but I will talk to you in the gate area. Thank you so much.
It is clear the pilot is reading a script, as if this is how he signs off on all of his flights. Based upon the American Way magazines in the seatback pockets, it appears this video was filmed onboard a Boeing 737 sometime in June 2021 at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW).
Live and Let’s Fly has reached out to American Airlines for comment and will update this post once we hear back.
What Did We Just Hear?
The pilot presented his testimony. In evangelical realms of Christianity, this is commonly offered before an immersion baptism, a personal story of one’s journey to Jesus. We do not have the full video so there may be additional context missing, but beyond the troubling language, his video lacks any theological foundation for his faith. Instead, it is simply a laundry lists of what he views as sin, with a quick “but Jesus” at the end.
Writing as a Christian, from an apologetical framework I cannot think of a more inadequate testimony. Without offering a foundation for the hope that is within him, he comes across as a condescending, undiscerning fool. My own testimony does not focus on me, but on who Jesus is.
Imagine if my four-year-old son was on that flight…
Daddy, what’s pornography? What does “have sex” mean?
The subject matter of his testimony was wholly inappropriate. An airplane is not the forum to hold an audience hostage, even if you sincerely believe your words may save people from hell. His expressed struggle with suicide is also very concerning.
Based upon the video, I don’t believe the pilot is suited to fly. It has nothing to do with cancelling his Christian faith and everything to do with his lack of discernment in knowing when to speak and when to hold his tongue.
CONCLUSION
I do not doubt the sincerity of this man. But his comments are wholly inappropriate onboard an airplane when speaking to a captive audience. His commandeering of the PA system and his use of highly inflammatory language concerning homosexuals and sexuality in general is disturbing. If he lacks the discernment to know when to speak, I would not feel safe stepping onto his airplane.
I agree! As a fellow Christian, I struggled with his “confession”. While I’m glad he did confess his sins, the airplane was not the venue to do that. And his suicidal thoughts while operating a plane is also disturbing. He simply picked the wrong venue to confess. But he may have felt God wanted him to do it this way — risk everything for Him — but I find that difficult to accept given the circumstances (children on board, etc). If this is true, he will likely get fired, which ultimately is a good thing because you don’t want someone like that at the helm of a plane. As they say, God works in mysterious ways.
I greatly enjoyed hearing this pilot’s testimony, which I heard on an AA flight earlier this year and was virtually identical to what you posted. I agree it was an odd choice of venue given all the lurid details, but I was intrigued enough to meet the pilot in the gate area after the flight. That’s when things started getting dark. Really dark. To the point of making me quite uncomfortable. I hope this pilot gets the help he needs.
Elaborate please?
Apparently he’s a regional pilot who was deadheading/commuting and somehow got on the PA system. The pilots stopped him when they figured out what was going on…
Where did you gather that? On Reddit?
Friend who is AA pilot – sorry, I know that doesn’t help much
Freakin’ nutcase. Temperamentally unsuited, should be fired. These loonies think they can impose their wacky thoughts/experiences on others. It’s becoming dangerous to fly: fist fights and disco dancers in the aisles, nutty pilots, hectoring FAs. At this rate the bus will be a better option…
I have often said that what they really pay us for isn’t our flying skills it’s our decision making ability. Because in general a superior pilot who makes superior decisions isn’t called on to demonstrate his superior airmanship.
The decision making involved in him sharing this on the PA to the whole plane is so bad and so flawed that I’m forced to agree with Matthew that he likely doesn’t belong in the cockpit.
For me personally, I would have asked to be removed from this flight. It’s not about his personal views it’s about his judgment and he sounds really depressed.
[redacted by admin] lunatic needs to be dragged off the plane an imprisoned, just like if someone were to take control of the PA and start yelling Allahu Akbar.
Yes, this is inappropriate. But so are the airline staff who make BLM or LGBT comments over PA systems. How would American handle this if it had been a black employee or woke white employee making a BLM statement?
aka, Let’s compare something that did happen to something that didn’t and demand a reply
Oh American, American…..
This is the new WOKE AA Thanks Parker! They actually seek them out to hire them. I can never leave the flight deck to pee. Can’t take your eyes off them for a minute. When you get one, the trip is hell.
Military and Airlines used to have testing and screening to identify them and never allow them into a cockpit. Now it’s completely opposite. I don’t care what anyone says this sort of malfunction has no place on a flight deck.
No place for it. No place for it. No place for it. Your work space is not yours to do what you want. This guy sounds like a troubled individual who needs help and should get it. If the help achieves the goals of restoring him to being flight qualified, then fine, no problem. But for now, he should not be allowed to fly so much as a kite. If it’s true that he was dead heading and was not working the flight, for how long did the other pilots let this guy babble on using their PA system? If you are in command of the aircraft than EVERYTHIG that happens is under your control. Even if this guy was giving the weather report, why was he even allowed 2 seconds on the PA system?
Loonies in the back, now loonies in the front!
..here I am,
STUCK IN THE MIDDLE WITH YOU!
While the speech did take place at the end of an AAL flight, it’s a mistake to automatically assume that the voice was of the captain or FO from that flight. Based on the thread where this was originally reported on reddit:
“I just heard from an AA pilot that it was an jumpseating Envoy FO who took the PA phone from the flight attendant. FO had already left, captain was in the forward lav and I guess didn’t hear it in there? Anyway, supposed Envoy pilot who did it is no longer employed.”
That changes things considerably, as it means it wasn’t a crewmember from the flight that had just taken place.
Religious Freedom extends anywhere & everywhere. The laws protect this man as he testifies. I hope this pilot, or whoever he is continues to speak his truth. If he had been Jewish, he could also have claimed organizational antisemitism on the part of AA.
You haven’t the faintest clue, Hadassah.
A thought: a deeply disturbed German pilot deliberately ran his aircraft into the mountains of southern France a few years ago, obviously and tragically taking all 150 on board to their deaths in a gruesome manner. There should be a zero tolerance policy for anything such as the behavior displayed by the AA pilot, regardless of the alleged motivation. what would stop him from bringing down his aircraft. Would having gay passengers be a trigger? Nope, good-bye, sayonara, the risk is not worth it.
Matthew – the default picture you’ve got on this page with the word “censored” across it is NOT the pilot in question. I know this b/c I know who is in the picture (AA pilot friend of mine) and that’s not the person this story is about. Using a stock pilot photo is irresponsible with a story like this. Please take it down…this kind of sloppiness is unfairly making the photo subject’s life a living hell right now with people confusing him for the subject of the story.
If someone is truly converted or has truly been affected by Christ then that person typically testifies of Christ and doesn’t dwell on the sins. That’s what makes this testimony so strange to me. One would also tailor the statement to the audience. So very strange.
I was on his flight after he was unzipping i stuck a banana in his arse
To be honest, I’m embarrassed.
I too have a relationship with Jesus and Abraham’s God. However, the slant I’ve seen with this blog and another about a mask and captain is disturbing to me. (His tone made it evident he meant a capitol G? Maybe, I didn’t hear it. But really?)
Anyhow, I’m not even sure you’ll let this comment be posted. However, I was curious to find more info on this story. Because I couldn’t imagine the scenario and then flying with a pilot after what you had ‘reported’. You left out massively important information. Someone said you’re doing click bait. I have to say, I agree. That or you really aren’t overly concerned with bias.
So here is a link to a much more factual and less biased report.
https://www.insideedition.com/off-duty-pilot-gives-bizarre-speech-over-pa-system-on-american-airlines-flight-69048
For those who don’t wish to click through, the plane had landed, it was not the pilot speaking, the picture associated with the original blog was not the person speaking either and that pilot has had to deal with fallout from having his photo incorrectly used. So bloody sad, the internet.