Unruly Passenger Who Was Duct-Taped to Seat Sued in Historic Case

2021 was the worst year for unruly passenger incidents on airplanes. A new story or viral video seemingly came out every week documenting flyers losing their cool on fellow passengers or crew. In one instance, a woman flying from Dallas to Charlotte had to be duct-taped to her first-class seat and silenced with tape over her mouth. 

Now, the woman is facing legal action for what happened. The Federal Aviation Administration is seeking $81,950 in civil penalties from 34-year-old Heather Wells after the San Antonio resident failed to pay what she owed after the incident. The agency is asking the court to enforce payment of the fine. 

According to the lawsuit, Wells was reportedly desperate to get off the American Airlines flight "after ordering a Jack Daniel's (neat)" and became "increasingly agitated and 'wanted out' of the plane," per Business Insider. She allegedly moved around the plane and crawled on the floor before she told a flight attendant she would "hurt him" if they didn't leave her alone. 

What prompted the crew to jump into action was when she tried to open the cabin door mid-flight. The suit claims she hit a flight attendant in the head as they tried to restrain her. They were able to pin her down by duct taping her to a first class seat for the remainder of the flight; when she kept trying to spit, bite, and head butt other people, they duct taped her mouth too. 

Wells was never criminally charged, but the FAA is looking for up to $45,000 for her aggressive behavior toward the flight attendants, $27,950 for attempting to open the plane door in the air, and $9,000 for interfering with a crew member's duties. At the time of the incident, it was the largest fine the agency had ever sought. 

She does regret how everything happened, explaining to KENS that she was having a mental health episode that day. 

"I know that it was not rational, and I was not actually in any external danger but at the time I was genuinely afraid for my life," she said. "Words can't express how sorry I am for the fear I caused and the people I hurt."