An American Airlines passenger had to be duct taped and zip tied after allegedly biting and kicking flight attendants
- A criminal complaint filed by the FBI alleges an American Airlines passenger bit and kicked several flight attendants on board Flight 1033 on Wednesday.
- The passenger was restrained after she allegedly ran towards the cockpit door as the plane was landing.
- The passenger had to be restrained with duct tape and zip ties.
An American Airlines passenger had to be duct taped and zip tied after allegedly becoming violent on board Flight 1033 from Dallas, Texas to Charlotte, North Carolina on Wednesday.
At the time of the incident, the flight was in the process of landing in Charlotte and was just 200 feet off the ground.
According to a criminal complaint filed by the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force, the passenger "knowingly and intentionally" interfered with the operating of the flight by "intimidating and assaulting" the flight crew.
The complaint alleges passenger Charlene Sarieann Harriott left her seat at the back of the Boeing 737-800 and ran down the aisle towards the front of the plane.
Harriott allegedly ignored flight attendants' orders to sit back down. Members of the cabin crew were forced to chase down and subdue the passenger when she ran towards the cockpit, the complaint said.
Three flight attendants proceeded to restrain Harriott in the plane's first class cabin duct tape and zip ties around her ankles and wrists. The court document filed by the FBI states that the passenger became violent and aggressive; bit one flight attendant in the forearm which caused bleeding and kicking the other two flight attendants in the arm, leg, and abdomen.
After landing, Harriott was taken into custody by law enforcement who were waiting for the plane at the gate. Harriott is being held at the Mecklenburg County Jail and will remain the facility until a hearing next week, the Dallas Morning News reported.
All three flight attendants were treated for injuries at American Airlines' on-site clinic.
American Airlines Flight 1033 criminal complaint by Benjamin Zhang on Scribd