Intoxicated woman allegedly performs lewd act on American Airlines flight; Passenger arrested, but why was the case referred to FBI?

An American Airlines flight from Baltimore to Miami reportedly became very unpleasant after an intoxicated passenger allegedly removed her pants and performed a lewd act shortly after takeoff. The woman, identified as 46-year-old Katy Inzer, was eventually confronted by a flight attendant before falling asleep for the rest of the journey, according to the New York Post, citing an incident report.

The local law authorities arrested the passenger shortly after the plane landed in Miami, but that was not where the story ended, as it was handed to the FBI, prompting the obvious question of why federal agents would be investigating something that happened on a commercial flight.

WHAT ALLEGEDLY HAPPENED ABOARD THE AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT?

According to the New York Post, the incident took place on an American Airlines evening flight from Baltimore to Miami on September 11. Citing an incident report filed by the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, the outlet reported that a fellow passenger informed a flight attendant after Inzer allegedly removed her pants and began masturbating while making inappropriate sounds shortly after takeoff.

After being approached by a flight attendant, the Maryland bartender reportedly stopped, put her pants back on and fell asleep for the rest of the journey.

The sheriff report indicates that the police officers who arrested Inzer in Miami observed signs of apparent intoxication, such as having bloodshot eyes and smelling alcohol. Inzer apparently claimed she could not remember her alleged sexual misconduct because she fell asleep.

WHY WAS THE CASE REFERRED TO THE FBI?

According to the outlet, the case was forwarded to the FBI because jurisdiction over the alleged offense was unclear. The involvement of the FBI comes down to what happens when an alleged crime occurs in the air.

However, the FBI is authorized to probe certain alleged crimes that take place on board a commercial airplane, including sexual misconduct. Its listed areas include sexual assault, indecent exposure, and lewd, indecent, sexual or obscene acts. The bureau can also investigate in-flight assault, interference with flight crew members and theft.

That federal role helps explain why an incident initially handled by local law enforcement after landing could subsequently reach the FBI.

Furthermore, the outlet reported that the FBI had investigated 104 cases of sexual assaults and misconduct on flights by commercial airlines in 2024, explaining why claims of sexual misconduct can become a federal issue instead of just getting arrested after landing.