Flight diverts after Oregon man is accused of exposing himself, urinating in aisle

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Federal officials allege an Oregon man “exposed himself” and urinated in an airplane aisle while on a cross-country flight.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York revealed that 25-year-old Neil McCarthy was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with indecent exposure on Wednesday, in connection to the incident that occurred the same day.

Authorities said the flight was headed to Manchester, N.H., but was diverted to Buffalo, N.Y. The Niagara Frontier Transit Authority responded to the scene at Gate 2 of the Buffalo Niagara International Airport when an American Airlines flight attendant told an officer the passenger had exposed himself before urinating in the aisle.

According to AP News, the criminal complaint shows that McCarthy told law enforcement he drank “Several whiskey and colas” before boarding his flight from the Portland International Airport. He also claimed he drank more during a layover in Chicago, and has a “medical urination problem.”

McCarthy now faces a maximum sentence of six months in prison and a $5,000 fine.