United Airlines Flight Disrupted by Unprovoked Attack
On a recent United Airlines flight from San Francisco to Washington Dulles International Airport, a passenger named Everett Chad Nelson allegedly attacked a sleeping fellow passenger without provocation. According to court documents, Nelson punched the victim repeatedly in the face and head, drawing blood, for approximately one minute before other passengers and crew members were able to restrain him.
The victim, who appeared to be deaf and nonverbal, did not fight back during the assault. A witness on the flight, Sandhya Gupta, described the attack as “violent” and “rapid-fire punching.” After the incident, a person identifying themselves as a doctor on board provided first aid to the victim, who was left bleeding.
The FBI is now investigating this incident, which is the latest in a series of unruly passenger incidents on commercial flights. The Federal Aviation Administration has reported over 1,700 such incidents in 2024, and the agency has stated that it will pursue legal action against any passenger who assaults, threatens, intimidates, or interferes with airline crew members, with potential civil penalties of up to $37,000 per violation.
