Man is accused of punching and bloodying another passenger who was sleeping on the flight

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — A man is facing assault charges for an unprovoked attack on a fellow passenger who was sleeping during a cross-country flight this week, authorities said.

An FBI agent said Everett Chad Nelson repeatedly punched the other man in the face and head, leaving the man bleeding, before another passenger pulled him off the victim.

The attack on a United Airlines flight Monday from San Francisco to Dulles International Airport in northern Virginia lasted about a minute.

“Thanks to the quick actions of our crew and customers, a passenger was restrained after he became physically aggressive toward another customer,” United said in a statement. “The flight landed safely and was met by paramedics and local law enforcement.”

United said there were 82 passengers and six crew members on the flight.

According to an FBI affidavit, Nelson left his seat at the back of the plane and used a restroom near the front before attacking the other man, who suffered bruises around his eyes and a cut on his nose. The sleeves of Nelson's windbreaker were splattered with blood.

The agent said Nelson was placed in a seat near the front of the plane and was observed by the passenger who stopped the attack. There was no indication that Nelson knew the victim, who was not identified.

The public defender listed as Nelson's attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A federal judge ruled that Nelson should remain in custody until his trial, scheduled for Dec. 11 in Alexandria, Virginia. The judge cited the evidence against Nelson and his history of having no stable employment and residence.

There have been more than 1,700 reports of unruly passengers on planes this year, an increase in the number of incidents last year. Reports of unruly passengers rose sharply in 2021 and, although declining over the next two years, remained higher than before the coronavirus pandemic.