A US Federal Aviation Administration safety inspector is suing United Airlines for $12.75 million after he was removed from a flight, reported to the FAA, and given a lifetime flight ban, according to a late January 2026 court filing in California. After taking what he says were photographs of safety violations, the off-duty FAA inspector claims he was targeted by the airline with the objective of having him removed from inspection duties.
On a flight out of San Francisco on 12 May 2022, Paul Asmus photographed a torn seat pocket, which prevented him from securing and accessing the safety briefing card. He also photographed a passenger standing in the aisle while the plane was pushing back from the gate.
When staff demanded to see the photos he had taken, Asmus complied, but the aircraft returned to the gate, and he was removed. United reportedly banned him from flying with them for life, demanded $3,153 for the costs incurred by returning to the gate, and filed a complaint with the FAA, leading him to be reassigned from his FAA inspection duties, including allegedly being taken off an active case looking into United’s Boeing 737 MAX fleet.
Despite what Asmus has described as United’s attempted “character assassination,” ultimately no further enforcement action was taken against him, with a Department of Transportation administrative law judge finding no support for United’s allegations that Asmus had interfered with flight safety, and dismissing witnesses as “not credible and without merit.”
Still, United have refused to back down on their lifetime ban, prompting Asmus to sue. He is seeking $250,000 in economic damages, pointing to lost salary, legal defence costs, and future financial harm tied to the lifetime travel ban. Fraudulent misrepresentation, civil extortion, civil assault, and tortious interference with federal duties are all on the charge list. A further $2.5 million is sought for intentional infliction of emotional distress, professional humiliation, reputational harm, and loss of enjoyment of life.
The case for defamation and reputational damage rests on the airline’s claims that Asmus had only been taking photos and behaving in a combative way with the crew in order to gain an upgrade.
Aviation observers are watching the case closely, noting the high level of discretion airlines can exercise in refusing to carry certain passengers, as well as the potential chilling effect that discretion, if unchecked, could have on safety reporting activity, with knock-on consequences for aircraft safety and passenger lives.
