An American Airlines passenger who had to be duct taped to her seat after allegedly trying to open the aircraft door mid-flight has been sued by the Federal Aviation Administration after failing to pay a fine.
Heather Wells, 34, was was aboard a late-night flight from Dallas-Fort Worth to Charlotte in July 2021 when she attempted to open the aircraft’s door and was violent towards the crew and other fellow passengers.
Wells is now facing a lawsuit from the FAA after she failed to pay a hefty $81,950, which was imposed on her in 2022.
Attorney Jaime Esparza has filed a lawsuit in San Antonio’s federal court on behalf of the FAA to collect the money from Wells, according to court documents seen by San Antonio Express.
Wells allegedly had fallen into the aisle and threatened to hurt a flight attendant who offered to help her.
The unidentified woman who was restrained in duct tape aboard an American Airlines flight from Dallas to Charlotte in July had been fined $82,000
The woman allegedly threatened to hurt a flight attendant who offered to help her after she fell into the aisle. She then ran to try to open the cabin door and hit another flight attendant ‘repeatedly’ over the head
Paramedics were seen standing by with a stretcher at the gate. Police were also present at landing and ‘apprehended’ her before she was taken to the hospital for an evaluation
She then pushed the flight attendant to the side and tried to open the cabin door.
She ‘repeatedly’ hit one flight attendant over the head and was quickly restrained in flex cuffs, but still managed to ‘spit at, headbutt, bite and kick’ the crew and other passengers, according to the federal agency.
A since-deleted TikTok video showed the woman restrained to what looked to be a first-class window seat with her mouth and torso wrapped in grey duct tape. She was taken to the hospital for an evaluation after the flight landed in Charlotte.
TikTok user @lol.ariee, Arieana Mathena, said that it was clear something was happening toward the front of the plane and began locking the bathroom doors.
She said the crew began frantically running up and down the aisle in an attempt to secure the plane as best they could.
Eventually, the captain made an announcement and told passengers to stay in their seats mentioning only that there was a problem towards the front of the aircraft.
After the plane landed, the woman could be seen still duct taped to her seat complete with tape placed directly over her mouth.
She was forced to stay in her seat as other passengers were allowed to disembark from the plane, which landed in the early hours of July 7.
Paramedics were seen standing by with a stretcher at the gate. Police were also present at landing and ‘apprehended’ her, the FAA says.
American Airlines confirmed in a statement that the passenger was ‘restrained’ after causing crew members concern.
‘While in flight from Dallas-Fort Worth to Charlotte on July 6, the crew on board American Airlines flight 1774 reported a potential security concern after a customer attempted to open the forward boarding door and physically assaulted, bit and caused injury to a flight attendant,’ a statement read.
‘For the safety and security of other customers and our crew, the individual was restrained until the flight landed at CLT and could be met by law enforcement and emergency personnel,’ the statement continued.
The woman was taken to a hospital for a mental health evaluation, before being placed on American Airlines’ no-fly list.
The fine came as airlines and regulators have tried to clamp down on a surge of disruptive passengers.
The FAA had previously said it had seen a steep rise in ‘unruly passengers’ since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2024 so far, there have been 915 cases of unruly passengers on planes, including 106 cases of passenger disturbances due to intoxication, the FAA said.
‘The FAA pursues legal enforcement action against any passenger who assaults, threatens, intimidates, or interferes with airline crewmembers, and can propose civil penalties up to $37,000 per violation’, said the government agency.