Grand jury indicts alleged ‘unruly’ traveler forcing flight diversion to Salt Lake City
Jul 31, 2024, 11:05 PM | Updated: Aug 1, 2024, 1:33 pm
SALT LAKE CITY — Video shows an unruly passenger who apparently caused a flight to divert to Salt Lake City because of his alleged life-threatening behavior.
A federal grand jury indicted the New Jersey man Wednesday in an incident where passengers jumped in to help flight attendants restrain the man.
Three videos obtained by KSL TV appear to show the situation unfolding on the Seattle to Dallas American Airlines flight on July 18. In the first video, at least one passenger is standing with flight staff outside the bathroom aboard the flight, where the yelling traveler is inside.
The man can be heard shouting, “I am sane!” and “I do not want to hurt myself!” At one point, he screams and yells, “He’s hurting me!” as a group huddles around the bathroom.
The flyer is identified in a federal grand jury indictment filed Wednesday as 26-year-old Eric Gapco of New Jersey. The indictment and a federally filed complaint state Gapco assaulted and intimidated a flight attendant, tried to open the forward and aft aircraft exterior doors multiple times mid-flight, locked himself in the lavatory, vaped on board, screamed, and bothered other passengers.
A second video shows passengers taking matters into their own hands, helping the flight crew after tying up Gapco’s hands and feet and attempting to get him to sit down in a back seat as the flight diverts to Salt Lake City.
Other passengers are seen trying to restrain a man identified as Eric Gapco on a July 18 American Airlines flight that diverted to Salt Lake City.
At one point, Gapco asks a passenger, “Hey did you record that?” as he’s being dragged to the seat.
A third video shows Salt Lake City police officers on board the flight, trying to get Gapco to stand up so they can escort him off the flight.
“I have clots in my legs, I need hospitalization,” Gapco loudly exclaims. “I need to go to a hospital!”
He eventually cooperates, walking slowly down the aisle while singing, “You say potato, I say potahto,” before making other statements and yelling out his name.
Gapco is scheduled to make his initial appearance at the United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City Thursday, Aug. 1, on federal charges of interference with a flight crew, and attempted damage to an aircraft in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States.
Salt Lake City Police officers escort Eric Gapco off a July 18 American Airlines flight that diverted to Salt Lake City.
