A woman, aged 61, reportedly assaulted a flight attendant, leading to an emergency landing of a plane. Tracy Barkhimer, the head of a consulting firm, was on Alaska Airlines Flight 1057 from Portland, Oregon, to Dallas, Texas when the incident occurred. Authorities mentioned the passenger displayed unpredictable behavior and allegedly struck two crew members who were attempting to pacify her.
Following the disturbance, the woman was restrained, and the aircraft was redirected to Boise Airport in Ada County, Idaho. Law enforcement officers at the airport were notified of the emergency landing around 1.30 am on Tuesday and met with the two crew members who filed for a citizen’s arrest by signing affidavits, as reported by the police.
Officials confirmed that Barkhimer was peacefully escorted off the plane, taken into custody, and booked at the Ada County Jail. She is facing charges of battery.
Alaska Airlines confirmed that their crew received clearance to resume the flight after a medical evaluation, and the journey resumed after a 90-minute delay. The airline clarified that although police records indicated two victims, only one flight attendant was assaulted, as per information from Fox News Digital.
In a statement, Alaska Airlines emphasized their commitment to safety and zero tolerance for violence against their staff. They expressed gratitude towards their crew’s professionalism and apologized for any inconvenience caused by the incident.
Barkhimer, a retired Navy captain and former helicopter pilot with over two decades of active duty, has reportedly been banned from flying with Alaska Airlines in the future. She currently serves as the president of TABAS Consulting, LLC, a company that offers consulting services to businesses seeking opportunities with Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR).
This incident occurred shortly after a US Air Force plane carrying US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth had to divert to the UK due to a mid-air emergency. Approximately 30 minutes into the flight from Brussels to Washington, the Boeing C-32A issued a “7700 squawk code” signaling a general emergency onboard.
The aircraft faced a depressurization problem off the south-west coast of Ireland, compelling it to descend to 10,000 feet and turn back east, as reported by aviation news network Airlive, which monitored the flight on AirNav Radar.
