Bloody attack on sleeping passenger on United Airlines flight under investigation: FAA

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

The FBI says Everett Chad Nelson, who was in 35F, walked to the bathroom for about two hours during a flight from San Francisco, California, to Dulles, Virginia.

While returning to his seat after using the restroom, he stopped at seat 12F, where a man was sleeping, and began punching him repeatedly.

Blood splattered over both men, as well as the plane seat, window and wall. An FBI statement said the victim woke up screaming and other passengers tried to intervene.

According to court documents, the sleeping passenger had black eyes and a cut on his nose. They also indicated that the victim did not harm Nelson, even in self-defense.

Another passenger managed to pull Nelson off the passenger. Nelson was moved to a seat at the front of the plane and watched by the passenger who stopped the attack.

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

United Airlines Flight 2247 “landed safely at Dulles International Airport in Virginia after the crew reported a passenger disturbance” at 1:40 p.m. local time, according to a statement from the Federal Aviation Administration.

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

Nelson made his first court appearance Tuesday and was temporarily remanded by a judge. He has not yet entered a plea.

The FAA also noted that unruly passenger incidents have “decreased by more than 80 percent since record highs in early 2021, but unacceptable behavior continues to occur.”

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

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