“Do You Want This?”: United Airlines Gate Agent Punched Unconcious After Passenger Becomes Irate Over Flight Delay

A United Airlines gate agent at Washington Dulles Airport had to be rushed to the hospital after an irate passenger who was angry about a flight delay punched them so hard that they tumbled to the floor unconscious.

Christopher Stuart Crittenden, 54, of Frederick, now faces the threat of spending up to 10 years in a federal prison after he pleaded guilty to a single count of interfering with security screening personnel – a crime that can also lead to a fine of up to $250,000.

According to a criminal affidavit filed in a Virginia district court, Crittenden was due to fly with United Airlines from Dulles to Atlanta on March 13, but just before boarding was originally scheduled to commence at 5:10 pm, he realized the flight had been delayed.

Crittenden flew into a rage, shouting expletives at one of the gate agents, even as the staffer issued him his boarding pass for the flight and apologized for the delay.

The gate agent then asked Crittenden to step back so they could help other passengers while he continued to shout and swear. Crittenden moved around 10 feet while continuing to shout at the gate agents before ripping up his boarding pass.

When Crittenden returned to the desk to ask for another boarding pass, the gate agent saw the flight’s Captain on the jetbridge and informed him that Crittenden might be intoxicated.

The Captain spoke to Crittenden and came to the conclusion that he would not be allowed to travel on his flight. Not long after being refused travel, Crittenden approached the gate agent and said, “Do you want this?” before throwing a punch at their head with a closed fist.

The punch landed on the gate agent’s jawline, knocking them unconscious and throwing them to the ground.

Crittenden then attempted to punch another gate agent, but the staffer ducked just in time, and several passengers rushed to their aid and helped restrain Crittenden before law enforcement arrived at the gate.

Because gate agents perform vital security duties like checking boarding passes, Crittenden was charged with the federal crime of interference with security screening personnel rather than a lesser assault charge.

On Thursday, Crittenden pleaded guilty after reaching a plea agreement with prosecutors. As part of the agreement, Crittenden has already undertaken to pay the victim $15,000 in restitution.

During the court hearing, Crittenden admitted to having drunk multiple alcoholic beverages before attempting to board the United flight to Atlanta.

After being rushed to a local hospital, the victim had to have follow-up dental care for the injuries he sustained to his mouth from Crittenden’s single blow.

With more than half the year already gone, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has currently recorded 835 unruly passenger incidents, a significant drop from 2024, when a total of 2,102 reports were received for the full year.

With record passenger numbers traveling through US airports, the current unruly passenger rate is 2.0 to 10,000 passengers for the week ending July 6.