American Airlines passenger who was strapped with duct tape to his seat, gagged when she tried to open the cabin door during flight.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is suing an apparently unhinged American Airlines passenger who created a chaotic scene while attempting to open the front cabin door mid-flight and forcing flight attendants to duct tape her to a seat.

Christina Coulter
14/06/2024

Heather Wells of San Antonio 34 kicked and spat on passengers and staff during the 7 July 2021 journey that was scheduled to fly from Dallas towards Charlotte, North Carolina. The plane was delayed by three hours prior to when it was finally taken off in the early hours of midnight. Fox News Digital previously stated.

In footage from the incident, shared on TikTok users @lol.ariee, the gray-haired woman can be heard shouting “You! You! It was you!” as passengers exited American Airlines Flight 1774 and flight attendants quietly said goodbyes.

In 2022 the FAA in 2022, the FAA imposed on Wells an unprecedented $81,950 as civil penalty, Business Insider reported. The FAA is now U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza has filed a suit on behalf of the FAA within San Antonio seeking to collect that amount, as reported by The San Antonio Express.

Heather Wells, 34, “wanted out” after drinking an alcoholic drink in the American Airlines flight, making an escape from the cabin’s door, and battling with flight staff and other passengers who attempted to intervene. (Daniel Slim/AFP via Getty Images)

As per the complaint which was brought on the date of June 6th, Wells “wanted out” after drinking a nice Jack Daniel’s, rushing towards at the rear of the aircraft, and grasping the handle on the cabin’s front door.

She started “talking incoherently with passengers, before crawling back toward the main cabin,” and threatened to attack a flight attendant on the way. Wells attempted to get in the front door, while screaming profanities, before two additional security guards restraining her.

American Airlines passenger Heather Wells was sued for almost $82,000. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Before being restrained with flexible cuffs, as per the lawsuit that was reviewed by the San Antonio Express, Wells struck one of the guards on the head several times.

“Ultimately, the flight attendants and passenger were able to restrain Defendant with duct tape and flex cuffs and get her seated,” according to the complaint.

The flight attendants gagged Wells to stop her yelling outbursts. However, even while gagged and bound, Wells continued to “kick and spit and attempted to bite and head-butt a flight attendant and passengers,” the lawsuit states.

Heather Wells continued to lash out even after Flight 1774 hit the tarmac and she had to be taken under sedation and taken off the plane by police and medical personnel in accordance with the lawsuit. (Reuters/Carlos Barria/File Photo)

Police were at the Charlotte runway at the time that the plane struck the asphalt, but Wells continued to go on even after landing.

“Ultimately, the defendant had to be sedated to be removed from the aircraft by law enforcement and medical responders,” in the document.

In the lawsuit, Wells violated federal aviation regulations by attempting to enter the cabin of the aircraft in a way that interfered with and threatened the flight crew and creating the risk of imminent danger to staff and passengers.

The Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department could not be reached as of press time to confirm whether criminal charges have been brought against them.