The woman who was duct-taped after causing a scene on an American Airlines flight is now facing a lawsuit with the Federal Aviation Administration after she reportedly failed to pay a fine of $81,950.
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In July 2021, Heather Wells, a 34-year-old passenger from San Antonio, was on American Airlines Flight 1774 when she caused a major disruption. The situation unfolded when Wells, who was flying from Dallas, Texas, to Charlotte, North Carolina, started displaying increasingly erratic behavior shortly after consuming alcohol served on the flight. According to the New York Post, court documents stated Wells became agitated, left her seat, and attempted to open the main cabin door while shouting profanities and threatening the crew and passengers.
The intervention of flight attendants and a fellow passenger stopped her attempt to exit the aircraft mid-flight. During the confrontation, she physically assaulted a crew member by hitting him several times. Eventually, the crew managed to restrain her by using duct tape and flex cuffs, but Wells continued to resist, attempting to bite and head-butt those around her.
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Upon landing, the pilots had already coordinated with officials at Charlotte Airport to have law enforcement ready. Wells was ultimately sedated by medical responders to safely remove her from the aircraft due to her continued violent behavior, which included kicking and damaging an aircraft seat. The lawsuit detailed Wells’ violation of federal aviation rules, including attempting to access the flight cabin and interfering with the flight crew, which posed an imminent threat to the aircraft’s and its passengers’ safety.
The FAA is seeking the unpaid fine through legal measures.
