Passenger who tried to open airliner door restrained with duct tape

A passenger on a scheduled flight was restrained to her seat with duct tape after trying to open an airliner door, The Washington Post reported on Monday.

A passenger on American Airlines Flight 1774, Elizabeth LaClair, told the Post that a woman sitting behind her was unsettled, telling a passenger right beside her that she didn’t want the plane to go up. 

LaClair, who was returning from a hiking trip in Utah, also said that the woman “seemed off and very odd.” 

“She started getting more and more agitated and very loud, and the man sitting next to her, along with the flight attendants, kindly tried to console her and calm her, but nothing worked,” LaClair told the Post. 

LaClair said the woman, who she described as probably in her 30s and with green hair, started to run toward the airline door and tried to open it with flight attendants tackling the woman to the ground and then restraining her with duct tape to her seat, according to the Post. 

A flight passenger’s daughter posted a Tik Tok video showing the woman strapped onto her seat, screaming “You! You! You!” as the rest of the 190 passengers on the flight exited the plane. 

This comes as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has reported an increase of unruly behavior on various flights, with the agency saying it will review over 1,300 complaints of unruly passengers since February, the Post reported.

In a statement, American Airlines confirmed to the Post that the incident happened, adding that that woman “physically assaulted and bit a flight attendant” during the altercation. 

“The individual was restrained until the flight landed at CLT [Charlotte] and could be met by law enforcement and emergency personnel,” AA told the Post. “We applaud our crew for their professionalism and quick effort to protect those on board.”

The Hill has reached out to American Airlines for comment.