United Airlines: Man charged with unprovoked beating of passenger on flight

CNN
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United Airlines crew and passengers were forced to stop the gratuitous beating of a man on a flight Monday, court documents describe.

An affidavit alleges that as Everett Chad Nelson was returning from the restroom about two hours into the flight, he stopped at seat 12F and “began physically assaulting a sleeping male passenger.”

Nelson punched the as-yet-unidentified man “repeatedly in the face and head until blood flowed from him,” court documents said, adding that the incident lasted “approximately a minute.”

Court documents add that Nelson attacked the other man “without notice” and there was “no indication” that the victim fought back “in defense.”

United Airlines released a statement thanking its crew and other passengers on Flight 2247 for their “swift action” in detaining Nelson. United said the flight from San Francisco to Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia “landed safely and was met by paramedics and local law enforcement.”

Court records show Nelson is represented by a public defender. CNN has reached out to this attorney for comment.

A passenger on the flight told CNN that the sleeping man who was struck appeared to be deaf and speechless.

Sandhya Gupta was sleeping in a seat in the row behind the victim when the attack began, and she said the victim communicated through sign language and text messages on his phone after the attack.

Gupta woke up as the attack unfolded.

“He just hit the man violently with his fists. Just rapid fire strikes. It was so intense. “This wasn’t a bar fight,” Gupta said.

Gupta recalled that the victim “didn’t fight back. He just screamed and screamed.”

As the attack continued, two passengers jumped in to stop the attack and eventually the attacker stopped, Gupta said.

“He went completely limp. He just switched off like a robot. He didn't make any noise. He offered no resistance. He simply turned around, walked a few rows further and found an empty seat at the front of the plane. He just sat down. He didn’t do anything until we landed,” Gupta said.

After the attack, a person posing as a doctor on board rushed to the victim and administered first aid to try to stop the bleeding, Gupta said, recalling blood splatters on the window and seats.

The FBI is investigating the incident, the latest case of an unruly passenger on a commercial flight that made headlines. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, airlines reported more than 1,700 such incidents in 2024.

“The FAA will pursue legal action against any passenger who assaults, threatens, intimidates or disrupts flight crew members and may propose civil penalties of up to $37,000 per violation,” the agency said in a statement.

Hannah Rabinowitz contributed to this news article.