A federal grand jury has indicted Eric Gapco, a 26-year-old man from Delanco, N.J., for allegedly engaging in disruptive and life-threatening behavior on an American Airlines flight.
The incident occurred on July 18 during a flight from Seattle to Dallas, when Gapco reportedly assaulted and intimidated a flight attendant and other crew members, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah.
Court documents said he refused to stay in his seat, propositioned a flight attendant for sex, was excessively loud, vaped, locked himself in a bathroom, and even attempted to open the exterior doors multiple times mid-flight.
As a result, crew members and passengers tied him down using flexible restraints, and the flight was diverted to Salt Lake City International Airport.
Upon landing, Gapco was promptly taken into custody by law enforcement and was later indicted on charges of interference with a flight crew and attempted damage to an aircraft.
His initial court appearance was scheduled for Thursday at the U.S.District Courthouse in Salt Lake City.
The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah and is being investigated jointly by the FBI’s Salt Lake City Field Office and the Salt Lake City Police Department.
