Man tried to open plane door in flight, hit with wine bottle
SEATTLE — A 23-yearold Florida man on a Thursday flight from Seattle to Beijing tried to open an exit door on the airborne Boeing 767, sparking a wild brawl with flight attendants and passengers who used wine bottles and zip ties to subdue the combative man, according to a federal complaint.
Joseph D. Hudek IV was charged Friday with one count of interference with flight crew members for allegedly assaulting two flight attendants on Delta Air Lines Flight 129. He is expected to remain in federal custody until a detention hearing scheduled for Thursday.
Hudek appeared for a hearing Friday in U.S. District Court in Seattle, wearing a beige jail uniform and sporting a scrape or bruise below his right eye.
He did not speak during the hearing. His attorney, Robert Flennaugh II, did not return a call.
Hudek, who was sitting in first class and traveling on a “dependent pass,” ordered one beer before takeoff and showed no signs of intoxication, FBI Special Agent Caryn Highley wrote in the complaint.
A spokesman for Delta said select family members of employees can use a dependent pass for travel. He said he could not comment on whether Hudek is related to a Delta employee.
About an hour into the flight, Hudek lunged toward the emergency exit door, grabbed the handle and tried to open it, the complaint alleges.
Two flight attendants tried to subdue him, but Hudek allegedly shoved them away and moved the emergency release lever halfway up.
Attendants turned to passengers for help as one of them called the cockpit to alert the flight crew of the emergency. The flight carrying 210 passengers and 11 crew was diverted back to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
Meanwhile, Hudek allegedly punched one of the attendants twice in the face, hit a male passenger in the head with a red dessert-wine bottle and punched him several times.
A flight attendant grabbed two wine bottles and hit Hudek with both, breaking one over his head.
Hudek was eventually restrained with zip ties.