A 61-year-old woman reportedly assaulted a flight attendant, prompting an unscheduled landing of the aircraft. Tracy Barkhimer, a consulting firm executive, was on Alaska Airlines Flight 1057 from Portland, Oregon, to Dallas, Texas when the incident occurred. Authorities stated that the passenger exhibited erratic behavior and allegedly struck two crew members who were attempting to pacify her.
Following the disturbance, the woman was restrained, and the plane diverted to Boise Airport in Ada County, Idaho. Law enforcement at the airport received notification of the emergency landing just before 1:30 am on Tuesday and met with two victims who sought and signed affidavits for the citizen’s arrest.
Officials confirmed that Barkhimer was removed from the plane without issue, taken into custody, and booked into the Ada County Jail, facing charges of battery. Despite a 90-minute delay due to a medical evacuation, Alaska Airlines informed Fox News Digital that the crew was cleared to proceed with the flight to its destination. The airline emphasized its zero-tolerance policy towards violence against its employees and expressed gratitude for the crew’s professionalism amid the incident.
Barkhimer, a retired Navy captain and helicopter pilot with over two decades of active duty service, has reportedly been banned from flying with Alaska Airlines in the future. She currently leads TABAS Consulting, LLC, a business consultancy specializing in opportunities with Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR).
On a separate aviation note, a US Air Force aircraft transporting US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth was diverted to the UK after experiencing a mid-air emergency. Approximately 30 minutes after departing Brussels en route to Washington, the Boeing C-32A issued a “7700 squawk code,” indicating a general onboard emergency. The plane encountered a depressurization problem off the coast of Ireland, necessitating a descent to 10,000 feet and a return to the east. Airlive, an aviation news network, tracked the incident on AirNav Radar.