Woman Disrupted United Flight to San Francisco

A woman was charged in federal court Monday for allegedly making statements about a hijacking, spitting at flight attendants and passengers and trying to open a cabin door while on board a United Airlines flight from Boston to San Francisco.

While on board Flight 179 on Sunday, Erin Callahan Lambert, 28, who lives in the Bay Area, got on her cell phone, telling flight attendants, "I'm calling 911 because the plane is being hijacked," FBI Special Agent Brian Gilhooly wrote in an affidavit filed in U.S. District Court in San Francisco.

Lambert took another passenger's seat, tried to take her pet dog in a carrier with her to the restroom and then spat at and fought with passengers and flight attendants after she threatened to open a cabin door midflight, saying, "I'm getting off the aircraft," the affidavit said.

Lambert was eventually subdued and restrained with plastic ties. Federal prosecutors charged her Monday with assaulting a flight attendant and interfering with the performance of duties of flight crew members.

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