FILE – A United Airlines plane glides to land at Denver International Airport on Jan. 16, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — A man faces a felony assault charge after an unprovoked attack on a sleeping fellow passenger during a cross-country flight this week, according to authorities.

An FBI agent said Everett Chad Nelson punched the other man repeatedly in the face and head, leaving him bleeding, before another passenger pulled him away from the victim.

The attack on a United Airlines flight Monday from San Francisco to Dulles International Airport in northern Virginia lasted about a minute.

“Thanks to the quick action of our crew and customers, a passenger was restrained after becoming physically aggressive with another customer.” United said in a statement. “The flight landed safely and was met by paramedics and local authorities.”

United said there were 82 customers and six crew members on the flight.

According to an FBI affidavit, Nelson left his seat in the back of the plane and used a bathroom near the front before attacking the other man, who suffered bruising around his eyes and a cut on his nose. The sleeves of Nelson’s jacket were splattered with blood.

The agent said Nelson was moved to a seat near the front of the plane and was observed by the passenger who had stopped the assault. There was no indication that Nelson knew the victim, who was not identified.

The public defender listed as Nelson’s attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A federal magistrate ruled that Nelson should remain in custody until his trial, which is scheduled for December 11 in Alexandria, Virginia. The magistrate cited the evidence against Nelson and his history of lack of stable employment and residency.

There have been more than 1,700 reports of unruly passengers on planes this year, on track for an increase in the number of incidents last year. Reports of unruly passengers increased in 2021 and, although they decreased in the following two years, they have remained higher than before the coronavirus pandemic.