Kristina Kedysheva, 36, has been charged after allegedly biting and kicking a flight attendant during a midair meltdown over alcohol service.
The Russian national appeared in Penobscot County, Maine, court on Wednesday facing charges of interference with a flight crew member or attendant and assault, according to an affidavit. Her arraignment came one day after United Airlines Flight 18 from Italy was forced to divert to Bangor, Maine, when Kedysheva became unruly at 35,000 feet.
The Boeing 777 was carrying 274 passengers and 13 crew members bound for Newark, New Jersey, when Kedysheva began demanding more alcohol several hours into the journey. She had already consumed three glasses of red wine and a whiskey and cola, she later admitted to FBI Special Agents through a Russian language interpreter.
“Maybe, maybe, but I think it’s OK in this situation,” Kedysheva told investigators, conceding she may have scratched someone but denying she bit anyone.
Fellow passengers described her as “nutty” as she slurred her words and filmed crew members on her cellphone, calling them “racist” when they cut her off. Video recovered from her phone shows her arguing with attendants, demanding more booze, and refusing to return to her seat despite warnings that the pilot would “land in Canada” if she didn’t comply.
The situation escalated when Kedysheva refused the captain’s direct orders and reached for the handle of the aircraft’s rear door. Five flight crew members and passengers rushed to restrain her. During the struggle, she allegedly bit one attendant on the wrist and kicked them in the stomach, injuring their shoulder and causing breathing difficulties. Another passenger suffered arm scratches requiring medical treatment.
For approximately three hours, Kedysheva continued flailing and thrashing against her restraints until the plane touched down in Bangor shortly before noon on Tuesday. Local police, US Customs and Border Protection officers, and FBI Special Agents met the aircraft and took her into custody.
During her FBI interview, Kedysheva explained she was traveling to New York to celebrate a friend’s 40th birthday. She claimed flight crew became rude once they refused additional service, and she blamed an “Italian guy” for sparking the physical altercation by seizing her cellphone. She maintained the flight attendant was responsible for causing the commotion.
The incident marks the second Newark-bound flight diverted within days due to passenger violence. On Thursday night, American Airlines Flight 618 from Dallas was forced to land in Baltimore after Arthur Lundeen, 67, an Arizona real estate agent, launched a racist and homophobic rant against crew before becoming physically abusive. Lundeen was restrained with duct tape and zip ties by crew and passengers, and his company fired him Sunday.
The Federal Aviation Administration, which is investigating Kedysheva’s case, reports approximately 1,200 unruly passenger incidents so far in 2026. Passengers who assault crew members face fines up to $43,658 per violation. United Airlines confirmed Flight 18 continued to Newark after Kedysheva was removed and handed to law enforcement.
