Two men on separate Alaska Airlines flights this month were arrested on federal charges accusing them of harassing or assaulting others to the point they had to be restrained.
In the first incident, on April 1, 42-year-old Eric Bruns stood up as the flight descended for a landing in Juneau and then pushed a flight attendant, according to a complaint filed with charges. In the second incident, on April 5, 37-year-old Adam Seymour harassed a woman sitting next to him and then resisted attempts to restrain him, according to a complaint in that case.
Law enforcement officers on the planes assisted during both incidents, the charges say.
Public defenders representing Seymour and Bruns both declined to comment for this story. Neither man’s hometown was immediately available.
A series of passengers have been charged due to unruly behavior on flights over Alaska within about a month. A passenger traveling from Dutch Harbor to Anchorage last month became combative with a flight attendant and was restrained by off-duty police officers, according to federal charges.
The Federal Aviation Administration has identified a recent and “disturbing increase” in incidents involving passengers disrupting flights with threatening or violent behavior.
Seymour was charged Friday in U.S. District Court in Anchorage with assault with intent to commit a felony. Bruns was charged Friday with interference with flight crew members or attendants.
Bruns was flying from Ketchikan to Anchorage on April 1 when he was arrested. The Alaska Airlines flight stops at several Southeast Alaska cities. Between the Sitka and Juneau stops, Bruns moved to a different seat and refused to move back when asked by a flight attendant, according to an affidavit written by an FBI special agent. As the plane approached Juneau, he stood up and refused to take a seat, the affidavit said.
Two flight attendants left their seats and Brun became more aggressive as they asked him to sit down, according to the affidavit. He rushed at and pushed down one of the flight attendants, the affidavit said. Law enforcement officers were seated on the plane and, with the help of other passengers, pinned Bruns in a seat and placed him in hand restraints, it said.
A Juneau police officer escorted Bruns from the plane after it landed. An FBI investigation was launched several days later, and charges were filed against Bruns on Friday. He was in custody Tuesday morning at Lemon Creek Correctional Center.
Seymour was flying from Seattle to Anchorage last week when he was arrested.
He ordered several alcoholic drinks early in the flight and drank from bottles he brought onboard that other passengers said contained alcohol, according to an affidavit written by an FBI agent. Witnesses told investigators he was noticeably intoxicated. He began making sexual comments and groped the woman sitting in the middle seat next to him, the affidavit said.
At one point, Seymour pulled out a lighter and cigarette and began smoking, the affidavit said. The woman next to him sought help from the passengers in front of them, who happened to be off-duty police officers, according to the affidavit. The flight attendants moved the woman to a different seat and a man was moved next to Seymour.
He pushed the man and eventually threatened to kill the passenger seated by the window, according to the affidavit. The officers placed him in restraints and moved him to a jump seat at the front of the plane, the affidavit said. He forced his hands free from the restraints at one point and had to be restrained again, witnesses told investigators. The officers stayed with him until the plane landed and airport police arrived.
Seymour refused to take a breath alcohol content test and police swabbed his hands to detect trace amounts of controlled substances, the affidavit said. Cocaine was detected, according to authorities.
Seymour was transported to the Anchorage Correctional Center and has since been released from custody.