A New Jersey man has been arrested for his alleged disruptive and life-threatening behaviour on an American Airlines flight. Twenty-six-year-old Eric Nicholas Gapco, travelling on flight 2101 from Seattle to Dallas on July 18, exhibited what authorities described as “unruly” behaviour.
Apart from propositioning a female crew member for sex, Gapco also attempted to open the plane’s door mid-flight multiple times, forcing the emergency landing, the New York Post reported. The US Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah said that Gapco removed his shirt mid-flight and began inhaling on a vape pen while cursing and hitting on a crew member, proposing to her for sex. The passenger also allegedly assaulted a flight attendant.
The Delanco man ate too many marijuana edibles before flight leading to his obnoxious behaviour on the plane.
Chaotic camera footage shows Gapco bare-chested and shouting “I am sane!” as crew members attempted to calm him near the plane’s lavatory. A second video shows other passengers assisting the flight crew after tying up Gapco’s hands and feet to get him to sit in the rear seat while the plane diverts to Salt Lake City.
Police arrested the Delanco resident at Salt Lake City International Airport around 11 a.m., local time. According to a criminal complaint, Gapco’s hands and feet were restrained by passengers and crew after he “failed to follow instructions from flight crew to remain in his seat, used a vape pen on board in contradiction of crew instructions, locked himself in a lavatory for a time, screamed, and attempted to open the aircraft exterior doors (forward and aft)” while the plane was in the air.
A federal grand jury indicted Gapco on counts of interfering with a flight crew and attempting to harm an aircraft under the United States’ special aircraft jurisdiction. His initial court appearance is scheduled for Thursday afternoon.
