An American Airlines passenger who was duct-taped to a first-class seat over unruly behavior is being sued by the FAA for $82,000
- The FAA is suing an American Airlines passenger for $81,950 after a 2021 flight incident.
- The passenger, Heather Wells, hit a flight attendant and tried to open the cabin door, the suit says.
A woman who was duct-taped to her seat on an American Airlines flight is facing a lawsuit from the Federal Aviation Administration.
In a complaint filed earlier this month, the FAA asked the court to enforce payment of $81,950 in civil penalties as a result of the July 2021 incident.
The suit said Heather Wells was flying first class from Dallas/Fort Worth to Charlotte, North Carolina.
"After ordering a Jack Daniels (neat) during the beverage service, Defendant became increasingly agitated and 'wanted out' of the plane," it added.
The suit then claimed that she moved toward the back of the plane, kneeled in the aisle, and crawled around — before telling a flight attendant she would "hurt him" if he didn't get out of her way.
Wells then reached the front of the plane where she tried to open the cabin door in midair, the suit said. It added that she hit a flight attendant in the head as they tried to restrain her.
The suit said two flight attendants and a passenger used flex cuffs and duct tape to restrain Wells. But as she kept spitting and attempting to bite or headbutt people, they also duct taped her mouth, it added.
The FAA is asking for financial penalties consisting of up to $45,000 for aggressive behaviors toward the flight attendants, $27,950 for attempting to open the cabin door in-flight, and $9,000 for interfering with a crew member's duties.
Notably, 2021 was by far the worst year for unruly passenger incidents, with almost 6,000 cases per FAA data. Such incidents rose nearly five-fold immediately after the pandemic.
While the figures have since decreased, they remain roughly double pre-pandemic levels, prompting the government to remind fliers about potential fines.