A 61-year-old female passenger reportedly assaulted a flight attendant, leading to an unexpected landing of the aircraft. Tracy Barkhimer, a consultant firm executive, was onboard Alaska Airlines Flight 1057 from Portland, Oregon, to Dallas, Texas when the incident occurred. Authorities mentioned the passenger exhibited erratic behavior and allegedly struck two crew members who were attempting to pacify her.
The woman was restrained, and the plane was redirected to Boise Airport in Ada County, Idaho. Airport officials were notified about the emergency landing just before 1:30 am on Tuesday. They then met with two crew members who requested and provided signed affidavits for the citizen’s arrest as per police reports.
Barkhimer was peacefully removed from the flight, taken into custody, and booked into Ada County Jail on charges of battery. Alaska Airlines confirmed that their crew was cleared to continue flying after a medical evaluation, resulting in a 90-minute delay. Although the airline stated that only one flight attendant was assaulted, police records indicated two victims were involved.
In a statement, Alaska Airlines emphasized their commitment to safety and zero tolerance for any form of violence against their staff. They expressed gratitude for the professionalism of their crew and apologized for any inconvenience caused by the situation.
Barkhimer, a retired Navy captain and former helicopter pilot with over two decades of active duty service, is said to be barred from flying with Alaska Airlines in the future. She currently holds the role of president at TABAS Consulting, LLC, a consultancy specializing in business opportunities related to Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR).
In a separate incident, a US Air Force aircraft transporting Secretary of War Pete Hegseth was diverted to the UK due to a mid-air emergency. Approximately 30 minutes after departing Brussels for Washington, the Boeing C-32A aircraft reported a “7700 squawk code” on its transponder, indicating a general emergency on board.
The plane encountered a depressurization problem off the southwest coast of Ireland, prompting a descent to 10,000 feet and a return eastward, according to aviation reports from Airlive, which tracked the flight on AirNav Radar.