A man from Texas is facing charges of assault and criminal mischief after allegedly drinking heavily on a Delta Air Lines flight from Minneapolis to Anchorage and assaulting a flight attendant while attempting to force himself on her.
The incident
According to a probable-cause affidavit, David Alan Burk (61) became unruly on the flight from Minnesota to Alaska, beginning when he was "snippy" with a flight attendant who informed him that there would not be time to serve him a preflight drink, a Business Insider report stated.
After takeoff, Burk was served a glass of red wine by the same flight attendant, who Burk later allegedly assaulted.
Burk reportedly stopped in the galley to tell the flight attendant that she was beautiful and then asked for a kiss. When she declined, Burk allegedly grabbed her neck, pulled her towards him, and kissed her neck, causing her to feel uncomfortable and caught off-guard.
After the assault, the flight attendant informed other crew members and avoided Burk until he returned to his seat. A different flight attendant later informed her that Burk had broken a plate on a tray with the captain's meal on it.
Response and arrest
The captain reported the incident to Delta and law enforcement, and Burk was arrested upon the plane's arrival in Anchorage. During interviews with the police, Burk denied kissing the flight attendant, breaking the plate, or being drunk. However, he did admit to consuming alcohol before the flight.
The Federal Aviation Authority has reported a surge in violent and disruptive incidents on planes in recent years, with a record-high of 5,973 incidents recorded in 2021 and 2,455 incidents recorded in 2022.
Charges and court date
Burk is facing charges of assault and criminal mischief and is due in court on April 27.
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