Woman goes berserk on plane, overturning drink cart before throwing coffee filled pot and jumping on air marshall's back

A woman aboard a Delta Airlines flight from London to Salt Lake City last Friday allegedly went on a rampage, racing down the aisle of the plane, overturning a drink cart and throwing coffee in the air, before jumping on the back of an air marshall, according to federal prosecutors.

Sarah Maria Beach, 45, was charged on Saturday with misdemeanor assault of a federal air marshal following the bizarre outburst at 30,000 feet.

According to her charging documents, the unruly passenger was handcuffed during the flight after jumping on the back of an air marshall and placing her hands on his head, neck, and jawline.

Ms Beach had been placed in a seat next to the air marshall after she "caused a disruption on the flight" by throwing coffee on other passengers, overturning a drink cart and running up and down the centre aisle of the plane "repeatedly," reports KSL News .

Another passenger on the flight who witnessed the incident told KSL News he feared for his life as he watched the chaos unfold.

"Everyone's becoming very concerned because, I thought, we're at 30-odd thousand feet over the sea. What if she tried to open the door? She couldn't get to the back door but then she ran again," passenger Martin Nicholls said.

Mr Nicholls then grabbed the 45-year-old woman as she ran past and held onto her until flight attendants arrived to help restrain her.

"At one point she stood up and she was drinking coffee and she literally just threw the whole thing - not the cup, the coffee - and it hit the ceiling, it was going down the walls. It went over probably about six or seven passengers, some, almost, to the other side of the plane," Mr Nicholls explained.

Ms Beach is an American citizen currently living in London. She has been charged with misdemeanor assault and will undergo a mental health evaluation before appearing in court.