Flight Attendant Assault Leads to Emergency Landing

A 61-year-old woman was taken into custody on Tuesday for allegedly assaulting at least one flight attendant on an Alaska Airlines flight traveling from Portland, Oregon, to Dallas. The plane made an emergency landing at Boise Airport in Idaho.

Tracy Barkimer, a resident of White Salmon, Washington, faces two misdemeanor charges, according to local police.

Authorities reported that Barkimer displayed “unusual behavior” during the flight and is suspected of striking two crew members who attempted to calm her down. The incident resulted in the need for the plane to divert to Boise.

Shortly before 1:30 a.m., airport personnel received notification of the emergency landing. They met with the two crew members and requested them to sign a citizen’s arrest affidavit.

After investigating, police removed Barkimer from the aircraft without complications. She was then taken into custody and booked into Ada County Jail.

Following a medical examination, the flight crew was deemed fit to continue, and the aircraft resumed its journey after a delay of about an hour and a half.

Alaska Airlines informed that only one flight attendant was assaulted, although police documents indicate there were two victims involved in the incident. Barkimer has been banned from flying with the airline in the future.

In a statement, Alaska Airlines affirmed, “Safety is our top priority and we do not tolerate violence of any kind against our employees. We thank our crew for their professionalism and apologize for any concern this might have caused.”