Man Sneaks Onto United Airlines Flight With Fake Boarding Pass After Multiple Security Failures

A Houston man used a fake boarding pass to sneak onto a United Airlines flight at IAH, forcing the aircraft to return to the gate and triggering a major law enforcement response. It’s always curious me to how these stowaway events happen in the first place…

A Houston man has been charged after allegedly using a fake boarding pass to get through security at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) and board a United Airlines flight to Los Angeles (LAX) without authorization.

Abdulrahman Oluwatumike Oriyomi, 25, is facing a felony charge of impairing or interrupting operation of a critical infrastructure facility after the May 18, 2026 incident involving United Flight 469 from Houston to Los Angeles. The flight had already pushed back and begun taxiing when crew members discovered he was onboard but not listed on the passenger manifest. The aircraft returned to the gate, passengers were removed, and law enforcement searched the aircraft.

Oriyomi first went through the Terminal C TSA checkpoint after appearing to have trouble with his boarding pass. He was then allowed into the secure area of the airport, where he spent time walking around before trying to board other Los Angeles-bound flights. At one point, he allegedly tried multiple times to scan a boarding pass at a gate, failed, argued with United staff, and was turned away.

But he apparently did not leave the airport…

Investigators say he later went to another gate, watched United employees scan boarding passes, and ultimately slipped onto United Flight 469 while staff were distracted. Once onboard, a flight attendant discovered that he was not on the manifest (every seat was taken and he asked if he could sit in a jumpseat), leading to the aircraft returning to the gate and a response from Houston Police, TSA, the FBI, and airport authorities. The incident delayed the flight by about three hours.

The alleged boarding pass recovered from his phone was fraudulent and reportedly lacked key elements like a QR code. Prosecutors have sought bond conditions including surrender of travel documents, avoidance of airports, and possible electronic monitoring.

🚨 BREAKING: Major Security Breach at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport;

25-year-old Houston man Abdulrahman Oriyomi is facing felony charges after authorities say he slipped through TSA screening with a fake boarding pass and boarded a United flight to Los Angeles.… pic.twitter.com/xGbED2TrzF

— Bethany O’Leary 🇺🇸 🦅 (@BethanyForTruth) June 5, 2026

How Does This Happen?

The chain of failures that led to this incident really does make me question how we can trust “the system,” even if the stowaway was ultimately captured.

• How did he get through security with no flight booked?
• Why was he just ignored when he attempted to board the first flight to LAX flight with a fake boarding pass?
• How did she slip onboard through a small gate that is manned by an agent?

Part of me wants to think, “Ok, he went through security like everyone else. At least he had no weapons,” but I tend to question that as well because we know the TSA has a poor record and if they let some guy through with no ticket, who’s to say they actually screened him carefully?

I think our security paradigm is part theatre and part charade and part of me just wants to put my fingers in my ear and say, “lalalalalalala,” since the deeper ramifications of this are so unsettling.

CONCLUSION

Abdulrahman Oriyomi is accused of using a fake boarding pass to get through TSA at IAH and board a United Airlines flight to Los Angeles without authorization, forcing the aircraft to return to the gate and delaying the flight for hours.

The chain of events here at a major U.S. airport are disturbing (TSA screening with no boarding pass, failed boarding attempt at another gate, sneaking onto another flight). United’s crew ultimately caught the problem, but far too late in the process.

IAH, TSA, and United should all be asking how this happened and how to make sure it does not happen again…if that is even possible.

Get Daily Updates

Join our mailing list for a daily summary of posts! We never sell your info.

You have Successfully Subscribed!