Passenger Who Allegedly Tried to Kiss Flight Attendant In Mid-Air Claimed He Was "Going to Have a Panic Attack" if the Woman Didn't Go to the Bathroom With Him

While mid-air meltdowns are on the decline, they are still a regular occurrence. According to the FAA, in the first six months of 2023, they have received a whopping 857 reports of unruly passengers. Incidents range from passengers attacking crewmembers to engaging in inappropriate behavior while onboard, and sometimes a combination of the two.

One of the most recent incidents involves a passenger who forced himself on a flight attendant in mid-air and attempted to force her into a bathroom with him. 

William Morgan was on an hour-long Southwest Airlines flight from Southern California to Las Vegas with three of his friends when he insisted he was having a panic attack.

The only way he could settle down, according to the criminal complaint? If the flight attendant joined him in the bathroom. 

The meltdown occurred shortly after 12:30 p.m. on Oct. 3, 2022, 40 minutes after Southwest Flight 2130 left Palm Springs International Airport. With just 20 minutes until landing, Morgan, sitting in the middle of the plane, walked up to a flight attendant identified in the complaint only as "C.B."

"Morgan demanded that C.B. kiss him," it states. "C.B. got up from her jump seat, at which point Morgan put his arms on her shoulders and demanded a kiss again before stating that he was going to have a panic attack if C.B. did not go into the bathroom with him."

She pushed him away and used the intercom to ask for help. C.B. "felt her life was in serious danger," the complaint says. 

Another flight attendant, "K.L." came to her rescue, seeing Morgan's hands on C.B.'s shoulders. When she attempted to calm him down, he grabbed her shoulders, telling her that "he needed C.B. to kiss him to calm down."

"Morgan then grabbed C.B.'s face and squeezed hard while trying to kiss her," the complaint states. "K.L. has stated that she was scared for her life and that she was concerned for other passengers."

Three men who had been traveling with Morgan aided in restraining him until the flight landed. 

"[T]he flight was not delayed, but the flight attendants were unable to conduct final landing checks because of Morgan's interference. Additionally, K.L. remained in the aisle as the flight landed to ensure that Morgan would not be a safety risk to other passengers."

The Daily Beast reports that Morgan has been charged with two federal counts of simple assault within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States, each charge carrying up to a year in prison.