Passenger arrested, charged after Alaska Airlines flight makes diversion

A woman accused of threatening to kill an Alaska Airlines flight attendant was federally charged with interfering with flight crew members and attendants, prosecutors said Monday. 

Chloe Dasilva, 32, was on a flight from San Francisco International Airport to Chicago O'Hare International Airport when she allegedly became disruptive on Friday, authorities said. The flight she was on was ultimately diverted to Kansas City International Airport because the pilot was worried for the safety of the passengers.

Dasilva allegedly cursed at and threatened an attendant on the flight, according to the affidavit. A flight attendant and two passengers had to restrain her with zip ties. 

A mother and baby seated nearby also moved to another part of the plane because of safety concerns. 

Incidents involving unruly passengers on planes spiked early in 2022. There were only two reported unruly passengers per 10,000 flights for the week ending April 9 this year, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

The FAA has a "zero-tolerance" policy against unruly passengers. The agency can levy large fines against passengers and refer people to the Justice Department for criminal prosecution based on their behavior on planes.