Chaos in the sky: NJ passenger forces emergency landing

🚨 Eric Gapco tried to open the door of an American Airlines flight

🚨 His behavior forced the plane to make an emergency landing

🚨 He faces multiple charges

A grand jury has indicted a passenger from New Jersey accused of assaulting crew and passengers and trying to open the door of a plane headed from Seattle to Dallas on July 18.

The behavior of Eric Nicholas Gapco, 26, of Delanco, on the American Airlines flight forced the plane to make an emergency landing in Salt Lake City, U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins for the District of Utah said.

Gapco refused to remain in his seat, propositioned a flight attendant for sex, was repeatedly loud, vaped, bothered other passengers and locked himself in the bathroom, officials said.

He attempted to open the aircraft exterior doors multiple times while the aircraft was in flight and was subdued by the flight crew with help from some passengers using "flexible restraints."

Video posted by KSL TV shows a shirtless Gapco screaming "I am sane!" and then "he's hurting me" as he is restrained. As police led him down the aisle, he sings, "you say potato, I say potahto."

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Unruly behavior on the ground

He was charged by Salt Lake City police with interference with a flight crew and attempting damage to an aircraft.

According to a booking affidavit obtained by KSL TV, Gapco spat at the arresting officer and broke glass in a holding cell at the airport.

As a result, he faces additional charges of damaging a jail or place of confinement and propelling something at an officer's face, both third-degree felonies, in addition to disorderly conduct after being asked to cease, a class C misdemeanor.

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