A woman, aged 61, reportedly assaulted a flight attendant, leading to an emergency landing of the aircraft. Tracy Barkhimer, the head of a consulting firm, was onboard Alaska Airlines Flight 1057 from Portland, Oregon, to Dallas, Texas, when the incident occurred. Authorities stated that the passenger displayed erratic behavior and allegedly struck two crew members who were attempting to pacify her.
The disruptive woman was restrained, and the flight was diverted to Boise Airport in Ada County, Idaho. Law enforcement at the airport was notified of the emergency landing just prior to 1:30 am on Tuesday. They met with the two crew members who had been attacked and subsequently signed affidavits for the citizen’s arrest.
Barkhimer was peacefully removed from the plane, taken into custody, and later booked into Ada County Jail, facing charges of battery. Alaska Airlines confirmed that their crew was cleared to resume flying after a medical evaluation, and the flight continued to its destination with a delay of 90 minutes.
The airline expressed gratitude towards its crew for their professionalism and stated that the safety of their employees is a top priority, denouncing any form of violence against them. Despite police records showing two victims, Alaska Airlines mentioned that only one flight attendant was assaulted during the incident.
Following the episode, Barkhimer, a retired Navy captain and helicopter pilot with over 20 years of active duty service, has reportedly been prohibited from flying with Alaska Airlines in the future. She currently serves as the president of TABAS Consulting, LLC, a firm that assists businesses in engaging with Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR).
In a separate incident, a US Air Force plane carrying Secretary of War Pete Hegseth was forced to divert to the UK due to a mid-air emergency. Approximately 30 minutes into its flight from Brussels to Washington, the Boeing C-32A experienced a “depressurization issue,” prompting it to descend to 10,000 feet and change course back towards the east, as confirmed by aviation sources.
