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An Alaska Airlines passenger has been charged after allgedly attempting to open an aircraft's door mid-flight
The male passenger was also overheard by crew saying, "The wings have disappeared. We're all going to die," per a criminal complaint obtained by PEOPLE
Alaska Airlines has since banned the passenger from using their services
A plane passenger in Alaska has been charged in federal court after trying to open an aircraft's cabin door mid-flight, as well as saying things like, "The wings have disappeared. We're all going to die."
On Wednesday, Dec. 10, Alaska Airlines Flight 87 had been traveling from Deadhorse to Anchorage when passenger Kassian William Fredericks was accused of interfering with the duties of flight crew members and attendants, per a criminal complaint obtained by PEOPLE.
During the flight, a witness saw Fredericks get up to use the restroom in the back of the plane, before he "aggressively" tried to "open the rear cabin door" after exiting the lavatory, according to the document, which was filed by a special agent with the FBI Anchorage on Dec. 11.
The witness "grabbed" the subject, who had already managed to move the arm of the cabin door "upward," and tried to "stop him," the complaint noted.
Fredericks admitted he thought he was overdosing and said he needed to call his mom, per the witness' account, before asking, "How do I break the window? I don't know how to break it."
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The subject told the witness when questioned why he was trying to open the cabin door that he "need[ed] air and to get out of here," per the document.
After moving seats a couple of times, Fredericks allegedly "got up and went to the back of the plane," while the flight attendants were doing their beverage cart service.
The subject repeatedly asked to smoke a cigarette, but was told no, as well as saying he was hearing voices and that "they were poking him," he was going to "OD [overdose]" and he "had to get out," per the complaint.
A witness heard Fredericks say "stop the plane, stop the plane" while repeatedly looking to the back of the aircraft, according to the document. The witness asked the subject if they were okay, to which they responded, "They're flying the plane from back here."
Fredericks allegedly said, "No, they're invisible. They're trying to take over the plane. You got to stop them," when questioned by the witness who it was he was talking about.
The witness also allegedly saw Fredericks take a pill, which the witness said made the passenger's behavior worse, according to the document.
The crew said during an interview that they didn't believe the subject was drunk, but did think he was acting "weird and off," per the complaint.
While monitoring the subject, the crew overheard him saying, "The wings have disappeared. We're all going to die."
He also told a flight crew member, "Meth is coming out of the air vents. Everybody is freaking out."
Fredericks also asked for two vodka shots, but was refused alcohol, per the complaint, which included a photo of the rear cabin door, which the subject had been trying to open.
"The flight crew stated the strap had been ripped off and the lever had been moved upward from where it should have been all the way down. The flight crew wanted to zip tie him, but in hindsight they realize that probably would have agitated him more," the complaint noted.
US District Court for the District of Alaska
The document added, "The crew thought [the subject's] behavior was due to a mixture of drugs and an anxiety to fly. At the end of the flight after landing, [the subject] apologized to the crew and seemed to have calmed down when he was being escorted off the plane."
The pilot said the flight "was about three-quarters of the way from their climb out of Prudhoe Bay, just over 18,000 ft, when he got the first call from the flight attendants for their concern of a passenger's behavior."
"It was just after that when the pilot saw the indication light go off in the cockpit indicating the cabin door was trying to be opened. [The pilot] said it is inhumanly possible to pull the cabin door in with the amount of air pressure on the plane while in-flight," the complaint noted.
"Though, [the pilot] stated he wanted to emphasize the severity of this situation which they deemed a Level 2 threat. During the flight, he had called Alaska Airlines' medic on the ground and were considering diverting to Fairbanks, but they were only approximately 18 minutes away from landing in Anchorage," the document went on, adding that since the subject "was not vomiting or passing out, they made the decision to continue to Anchorage."
Despite the "erratic" passenger not showing "any physical aggression toward anyone," the crew stated that "they feared for the safety of their passengers and themselves" on the flight, per the document.
"They stated even though he would not be able to open the cabin door in mid-air with the air pressure, manipulation of the cabin door arm could have triggered the emergency slide to deploy and inflate within the plane. This could have caused serious harm to any passengers in the cabin including [the subject] who was near the door," the complaint stated.
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While being treated at Providence Hospital, an Anchorage Airport Police Department (AAPD) officer overheard Fredericks "telling the doctor he had been drinking alcohol for the last nine to 10 days, was seeing and hearing things, and could not remember the last two years of his life," the document said, noting that the subject had also said he'd been taking the antidepressant medication Trazodone.
Fredericks was charged with interference with flight crew members and attendants, per a Dec. 16 court document obtained by PEOPLE.
Alaska Airlines confirmed in a statement to local media outletKTUUthat the passenger in question had been banned from flying with the airline.
"We thank our crew for their professionalism in handling this situation, and we apologize to our guests for any concern this incident caused," spokesperson Tim Thompson said, per the outlet.
Alaska Airlines and the Alaska Department of Public Safety did not immediately respond when contacted by PEOPLE for additional information.
If you or someone you know needs mental health help, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
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