An Oregon woman who said she was sexually assaulted on an American Airlines flight from Missouri to Portland is now suing the company.

The woman claims in the negligence lawsuit that while waiting for her flight on December 10, 2024, she saw a man drinking at a small airport bar, where he allegedly consumed multiple beers and shots of liquor. She said the man noticed her and called her “sexy” and “beautiful” while they were at the bar, The Oregonian reports.

The filing states that the attention made her uncomfortable, so she left the bar, but later saw him “stumbling out” toward the gate where she was awaiting her flight.

According to the woman’s attorney, airline staff allowed the man onto the plane, despite him allegedly smelling like alcohol. When he boarded, he reportedly sat next to the woman and said “this is my lucky day.”

The plaintiff said the man began “bumping and rubbing” against her and invading her space, but as the plane began to take off her began to grope her. The woman said she tried to push his hands away, but he continued to assault her despite her insistence that he stop.

In the filing, the woman recalls telling a flight attendant that she needed to move to another seat, but was denied because she was not allowed to move while the plane was taking off. She reportedly replied with something to the effect of: “This man is completely on top of me, and I need to move now!”

The flight attendant did eventually move the woman to another seat.

The captain of the flight reported the alleged assault during the flight, and Dallas police officers apprehended the man when the plane landed at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, according to the lawsuit.

The plaintiff was allowed to leave the plane first and give her statement to police. The man accused of assaulting her, identified by police and in the lawsuit as Justin Eldon Knotts, 40, also gave a statement to police.

A flight attendant on the plane told police she witnessed Knotts groping the plaintiff, and also said she saw him grope a flight attendant while she was serving beverages.

That attendant reportedly said she felt the man’s hand “brush up against her thigh, grabbing her wrist and smacking her on the buttocks inflicting pain,” according to the lawsuit.

Due to the alleged incident, the plaintiff missed her connecting flight to Portland and had to spend the night in Dallas. She flew home the following day.

Dallas police reportedly told the woman that they were seeking a warrant for Knotts’ arrest on misdemeanor assault, though no charges have been filed as of Wednesday, according to The Oregonian.

American Airlines, Sky West, and Knotts were all named as defendants in the lawsuit.

The Independent has requested comment from the accused defendants.

American Airlines gave the following statement to The Oregonian:

“The safety of our customers and team members is our highest priority. We are reviewing the complaint.”