FAA: Bloody attack on sleeping passenger on United Airlines plane is under investigation

In a bloody and seemingly random attack, a man attacked a sleeping passenger on a United Airlines flight on Monday, according to court documents.

The FBI says Everett Chad Nelson, seated in 35F, walked to the bathroom about two hours before the flight from San Francisco, California, to Dulles, Virginia.

While returning to his seat after using the toilet, he stopped next to a man sleeping in seat 12F and started punching him repeatedly.

Blood splattered both men, as well as the seat, window and wall of the plane. An FBI affidavit stated that the victim woke up screaming and other passengers tried to intervene.

Court documents stated that the sleeping passenger had black eyes and a wound on his nose. They also noted that the victim did not harm Nelson even in self-defense.

Another passenger was able to pull Nelson off the passenger. Nelson was placed in the front seat of the plane and watched by the passenger, who stopped the attack.

“Thanks to the rapid response of our crew and customers, a passenger was restrained after becoming physically aggressive towards another customer,” United Airlines said in a statement. he said. “The flight landed safely and was met by paramedics and local law enforcement.”

According to a statement from the Federal Aviation Administration, United Airlines flight 2247 “landed safely at Dulles International Airport in Virginia after the crew reported passenger discomfort” at 1:40 pm local time.

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The injured man was later treated by a doctor for “abrasions to his face and head,” according to court documents.

Nelson made his first court appearance Tuesday and was placed in temporary custody by a judge. He has not yet made a defence.

The FAA also noted that the rate of unruly passenger incidents “has fallen by over 80 percent since record highs in early 2021, but unacceptable behavior continues to occur.”

In 2024, airlines reported more than 1,200 cases of unruly passengers, according to the FAA.

FAA: Bloody attack on sleeping passenger on United Airlines plane is under investigation originally appeared abcnews.go.com