An American Airlines passenger who was duct taped to her seat and gagged mid-flight after being accused of trying to open a cabin door is being sued by aviation authorities.
The woman, Heather Wells, was flying from Dallas, Texas, to Charlotte in North Carolina when the incident took place in July 2021.
It was alleged she caused trouble on the aircraft by biting and spitting at staff and passengers before trying to open the front cabin door.
A video shared to TikTok revealed the aftermath of the incident, showing the woman duct taped to her seat with her hands bound and mouth gagged.
The US' aviation authority, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), fined her US$81,950 (NZ$132,700) in 2022.
Now, according to San Antonio Express, the FAA has sued Wells to collect that money from her, which reportedly remains unpaid.
According to the lawsuit, Wells "wanted out" of the flight after drinking straight Jack Daniels. It said she ran to the front of the plane and tried to grab the cabin door handle.
It said Wells was "talking incoherently" to other passengers and threatened a flight attendant as she "yelled profanities".
The lawsuit said she struck a flight attendant on the head several times before being sat down and restrained with flex cuffs.
"Ultimately, the flight attendants and passenger were able to restrain the defendant with duct tape and flex cuffs and get her seated," the lawsuit read.
She was then gagged in a bid to stop her screams, spitting and biting.
The pilot radioed Charlotte Airport, and police were waiting on the tarmac.
"Ultimately, the defendant had to be sedated to be removed from the aircraft by law enforcement and medical responders," the lawsuit said.
The lawsuit accused her of violating federal aviation rules by trying to access the cabin, interfering with crew, threatening them and posing an imminent threat to the safety of the aircraft and individuals aboard.
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