A passenger who is restrained with duct tape during the flight faces a fine

The Federal Aviation Administration has sued an American Airlines passenger who kicked and spat at flight attendants and passengers and tried to open a cabin door before she was pinned to a seat with duct tape, for $81,950. The largest fine ever assessed by the agency for unruly behavior.

The passenger, Heather Wells, 34, of San Antonio, was traveling first class from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport in Texas to Charlotte Douglas International Airport in Charlotte, North Carolina, on July 7, 2021. About an hour into the flight, she asked for a glass of whiskey. She became agitated and said she “wanted to get off” the plane, according to a lawsuit filed June 3 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas.

Ms. Wells began running toward the back of the plane, where she knelt down in the aisle and began “speaking incoherently to passengers, before crawling back toward the main cabin,” the lawsuit said.

When one of the flight attendants answered, Ms. Wells “became verbally aggressive and told the flight attendant that she would hurt him if he did not get out of her way,” according to the court document.

She then pushed him and moved to the front of the plane where she “lunged towards the cabin door and tried to grab him, while screaming and shouting obscenities.”

That happened when two flight attendants and a passenger tried to physically restrain Ms. Wells, who struck one of the flight attendants in the head several times, the lawsuit said.

They were able to restrain her with duct tape and elastic cuffs and place her on a bench. But she continued to “kick, spit, and attempt to bite and bite the back of the head,” which “necessitated” Ms. Wells being further restrained with duct tape, including over her mouth, according to the lawsuit.

The captain decided that landing in Charlotte would be the quickest solution, and law enforcement officers were waiting for the plane to arrive, according to the lawsuit.

Ms. Wells continued to act violently once the officers boarded the plane, and broke the seat in front of her, before she was drugged and removed from the plane.

Mrs. Wells 5 Kens said In San Antonio, she had mental health issues and apologized in a statement.

“I know it wasn’t rational and I wasn’t actually in any outside danger but at the time I was genuinely afraid for my life,” the statement read. “Words cannot express how sorry I am for the fear I caused and the people I hurt.”

Ms. Wells, who could not be reached for comment, told the news station that after getting off the plane, she was placed in the hospital for observation, and that she did not have a lawyer.

No attorney was listed in court documents and American Airlines did not respond to a request for comment on Saturday. It was not clear whether Ms. Wells had been formally charged.

According to the lawsuit, Ms. Wells is liable for a $45,000 civil penalty for her violent behavior toward crew and passengers. $27,950 for trying to open the cab door; and $9,000 for interference with the performance of crewmember duties, totaling $81,950.

Fines It is proposed by the Federal Aviation Administration in 2022Ms Wells then had 30 days to respond.

They came after Zero tolerance policy It aims to target increasing reports of aggressive behavior by passengers.

According to Federal Aviation Administration dataThese incidents have declined significantly: In 2021, there were nearly 6,000 reports of unruly passengers, falling to 2,455 in 2022, and 2,075 in 2023. So far this year, 885 cases have been reported.

But the agency warned in a statement this week against that Bad behavior With the start of summer travel.