Dallas, October 18: An Alaska Airlines flight en route from Portland to Dallas was forced to make an emergency landing in Boise, Idaho, after a female passenger allegedly assaulted two flight attendants mid-air. The incident occurred about 30 minutes into the flight early Friday morning, triggering a security diversion that landed the aircraft at Boise Airport around 1:30 am MT.

The passenger, identified as 61-year-old Tracy Barkhimer from White Salmon, Washington, reportedly displayed erratic behavior and became physically aggressive toward crew members attempting to calm her down. Barkhimer was arrested upon landing by Boise Police and charged with two counts of misdemeanor battery. She was booked into Ada County Jail and later released on a USD 600 bond. Her court appearance is scheduled for early November. Alaska Airlines Plane Hits Multiple Deer While Landing at Kodiak Airport; FAA Launches Probe As Shocking Runway Collision Video Surfaces.

According to Alaska Airlines, the crew underwent a medical evaluation and were cleared to continue. The flight resumed its journey to Dallas approximately 90 minutes later. ‘What’s Wrong With a Little Twerk?’: Alaska Airlines Flight Attendant Nelle Diala Breaks Down After Being Fired for Twerking on the Job As TikTok Video Goes Viral.

In a statement, Alaska Airlines said, “Safety is our number one priority, and we do not tolerate violence of any kind against our employees. The passenger in question has been banned from flying with us. We are grateful to our crew for their professionalism and apologize for any inconvenience caused.”

The incident adds to the growing number of unruly passenger cases in 2025. As of September 28, the FAA has reported 1,205 such incidents. Offenders can face steep fines of up to USD 43,658 per violation.

TruLY Score by LatestLY
Rating:3

TruLY Score 3 – Believable; Needs Further Research | On a Trust Scale of 0-5 this article has scored 3 on LatestLY, this article appears believable but may need additional verification. It is based on reporting from news websites or verified journalists (USA Today ), but lacks supporting official confirmation. Readers are advised to treat the information as credible but continue to follow up for updates or confirmations

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 18, 2025 09:56 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).