An ex-Navy Captain and helicopter pilot, who has successfully built her own defense consulting business, has been arrested and charged with two counts of misdemeanor battery after allegedly attacking flight attendants on an Alaska Airlines flight from Portland to Dallas.
Tracy Barkhimer, 61, was a passenger on Alaska Airlines flight AS-1057 on October 14 when her behavior became so erratic and unruly that the pilots decided that their only option was to make an emergency diversion to Boise Airport, Idaho.
The red-eye flight departed Portland just before midnight on Tuesday but less than an hour into the three hour flight, the pilots were descending towards Boise, where law enforcement had been alerted to meet the Boeing 737 on arrival.
Once on the ground, flight attendants told police that Barkhimer’s behavior had become increasingly erratic after takeoff and had lashed out at two crew members when they attempted to calm her down.
Barkheimer’s behavior allegedly became so unruly that she was restrained in her seat for the remainder of the flight.
While Barkheimer was taken into custody at the Ada County Jail, the plane was further delayed while the two flight attendants who were allegedly assaulted had to be assessed by medical first responders.
They were, however, given the all-clear around an hour and a half later and were able to work the flight to get the passengers to Dallas-Fort Worth with a delay of nearly two hours.
Barkheimer is a Navy veteran who served 26 years of active duty in the US military, concluding her career as a Program Executive Officer at the Naval Air Systems Command, where she worked on unmanned aviation and strike weapons.
In 2019, however, Barkheimer started her own defense consulting business called TABAS Co. As a two-time breast cancer survivor, Barkheimer says her consulting business is a proudly disabled, woman-owned firm.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the Boise Police Department said Barkheimer “was showing erratic behavior and struck two airline employees who were attempting to calm her down.”
