AA1774 passenger duct taped to seat
 

A woman who allegedly had a mental health episode aboard an American Airlines flight appears to have been taped down after having a public freakout in the air. TikTok user @lol.ariee posted the video. The flight was taking off from the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport and was in the air for about 2 hours. During that time a situation unfolded that caused a bit of a panic. According to the TikToker, flight attendants started frantically running up and down the aisles at around 1:30 AM. The captain got on the intercom, and told everyone to stay in their seats 'cause of the problem toward the front, which he apparently said they were handling. As the TikTok user exited the plane, she recorded paramedics who were standing by with a stretcher. As for American Airlines, a rep for the company tells us this: “The crew on board American Airlines flight 1774 reported a potential security concern after a customer attempted to open the forward boarding door and physically assaulted, bit and caused injury to a flight attendant." They add, "For the safety and security of other customers and our crew, the individual was restrained until the flight landed at CLT and could be met by law

At this point there needs to be an FAA mandate that people that cause these kind of disturbances should be 1. Ban from flying 2. Face a felony charge 3. Have their wages/bank account garnished to pay for the diversion. Word would spread real quick

Disincentives don't really work on the severely mentally ill. They should be banned for the safety of other passengers but most people this far gone don't have savings or wages to garnish, and a felony doesn't do much when it will easily be dismissed for insanity reasons or pled down.

I would love to know what made the AA crew feel it was necessary and appropriate to duct tape over the passenger’s mouth.

I think it was after a flight attendant was bit

She was in the first class cabin, she clearly has enough disposable income pay for the seat outright or at least has a job that gives her enough to travel to have high-tier status (only ExPlat and higher are going to be getting status upgrades between DFW and CLT).

the pix on the left has the look of someone who just learned their plane is a MAX 8

Agreed with 1 and 2, but disagree with 3. In the US bank accounts (aka personal property) cannot be seized without due process. This is a constitutional issue. Wage garnishment requires something akin to due process also.

I am concerned about the number of incidents lately on AA.

She probably asked for a glass of wine in coach.

I figured the FAs just moved her up because they had an empty F seat and it was easier to get her under control there. The flight was a red eye on a Saturday so it's conceivable that few elites were onboard.

Would that have actually deterred something like this scenario though? Sounds like it wasn't a rational decision of "Hmm, I'd like to get off this place, ugh are there going to be repercussions though?"

If it's a situation where someone just has a complete mental collapse to where they're biting a FA and need to be duct taped down, including over their mouth... I'm not sure any rational consideration of repercussions is going to make a difference.

Who would put a mentally ill person on a plane anyway without accompanying?

Family members trying to save a buck and/or get rid of a lingering problem. This reminds me of a situation several years ago where a family did this with a mentally unfiit woman ( I want to say it was a US flight out of or into PHX). There was an episode and she actually ended up dying. Then the family came out afterwards and sued because, of course, the airline should have known better and handled her more compassionately, or whatever. I also want to say they were the ones who bought her the ticket and took her to the airport.

Ahh yes....Carol Anne Gotbaum. That was a train wreck. She sued the City of Phoenix and Phoenix PD. I do not believe that US Airways was one of the defendants.

OK, so I'm just wondering... is a roll of Duct Tape standard equipment on AA Aircraft?