A woman — who had to be duct-taped to her seat for allegedly assaulting flight attendants on a flight out of Dallas Fort Worth Airport — is being sued by the Federal Aviation Administration.
The lawsuit was filed June 3 in a San Antonio district court.
On July 7, 2021, the woman was a first-class passenger on an American Airlines flight departing from Dallas Fort Worth Airport to Charlotte Douglas International Airport in Charlotte, North Carolina.
More than an hour into the flight, the defendant became “increasingly agitated” and “wanted to get off” the plane, the complaint states. According to the complaint, she ordered an alcoholic drink during the flight.
The woman left her seat and began moving and running toward the end of the plane before kneeling in the aisle, the suit said. She stayed in the aisle for a moment and spoke “incoherently” to passengers before crawling back to the main cabin.
When a flight attendant responded, the woman became verbally aggressive and told the flight attendant she would hurt him if he didn’t get out of the way, the complaint alleges. She pushed the attendant aside and walked to the front of the plane.
She rushed over and tried to grab the handle of the front cabin door as the plane flew, yelling and screaming profanities, according to the complaint. Two flight attendants and a passenger had to restrain her. During the struggle, the woman struck a flight attendant in the head several times, the suit said.
The flight attendants and passenger restrained the woman in her seat with tape and flexible cuffs. After sitting down, the woman kicked, spit and tried to bite and headbutt a flight attendant and passengers, the complaint alleges. She was further restrained and tape was placed over her mouth, but this did not stop her from screaming and cursing throughout the flight, the suit said.
The captain decided to continue to their destination, while police waited for the woman upon landing.
When she arrived at her destination airport, the woman was able to free her feet and kicked violently, according to the complaint, which required more restraint and further flight attendant intervention.
She broke the seat in front of her and had to be sedated to be removed from the plane, the complaint said.
The woman’s behavior posed a threat to the safety of the plane and people on board, the complaint alleges.
She faces fines of up to $81,950 for violations including making threats, hitting and spitting and attempting to assault flight crew and passengers.
She also faces a fine of $27,950 for attempting to open the cabin door and $9,000 for interfering with crew members’ duties.
