A man who attacked two flight attendants and several passengers while he tried to open an exit door mid-flight yelled, 'Don't you know who I am?', according to the FBI.

Joseph Daniel Hudek IV, the son of a Delta airlines employee, was flying first class on a 'dependent pass' from Seattle to Beijing on Thursday when his sudden rampage caused the plane to divert back to Washington about an hour after takeoff.

Hudek, who punched a flight attendant and an intervening passenger, had two wine bottles smashed over his head before he was eventually restrained, according to a probable cause document.

He now faces a felony charge of interfering with a flight crew, which carries a possible sentence of up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Joseph Daniel Hudek IV was arrested after a sudden rampage on a flight from Seattle to Beijing, during which he tried to open an exit door

Hudek, who punched a flight attendant and an intervening passenger, had two wine bottles smashed over his head before he was eventually restrained (pictured, the aftermath)

One flight attendant and a passenger were taken to a hospital after suffering severe facial injuries, authorities said.

Photos from inside the plane reveal blankets and food strewn across the cabin floor while a spilled beverage can be seen dripping down the exit door.

The Tampa, Florida, native appeared in US District Court on Friday, wearing a beige jail uniform and sporting a scrape or bruise below his right eye.

Hudek did not speak during the hearing. His attorney, Robert Flennaugh II, declined to comment.

Hudek's mother Linda Hudek, is a customer service representative and reservation agent at Delta, according to her Facebook profile.

According to the airline's employee benefits, dependent children fly for free, although some government or airport fees apply for international travel.

Hudek (left) the son of a Delta airlines employee (right, his mother), was flying first class on a 'dependent pass'

He turned the emergency release lever on the exit door to about 90 degrees, which would have been enough to open it if the plane was flying at a lower altitude, a flight attendant said

A probable cause statement written by FBI special agent Caryn Highley said Hudek was sitting in the first row of the Boeing 767's first-class section when the flight took off on Thursday.

Hudek had a beer before takeoff, but exhibited no sign of being intoxicated, a flight attendant told authorities.

About an hour into the flight, Hudek went into the restroom, popped out, and asked the attendant a question before he stepped back in, the FBI agent wrote.

When he came out again two minutes later, he suddenly lunged for the exit door, grabbed the handle and tried to open it, Highley wrote.

Two flight attendants grabbed him, but he pushed them away, the complaint said.

The attendants then signaled for help from several passengers and notified the cockpit by telephone, the complaint said.

Hudek punched one flight attendant twice in the face and struck at least one passenger in the head with a red dessert wine bottle, the documents said.

One passenger who did not want to be named told KIRO7: 'I tried to choke him and he just threw me off like a rag doll.'

As the struggle continued, a flight attendant grabbed two wine bottles and hit Hudek over the head with each - breaking at least one of them, Highley wrote.

According to one flight attendant, 'Hudek did not seem impacted by the breaking of a full liter red wine bottle over his head, and instead shouted, 'Do you know who I am?' or something to that extent,' the complaint said.

The plane was diverted (pictured, the flight plan) about an hour after takeoff. Hudek had two wine bottles smashed over his head before he was subdued and restrained on the flight

Hudek was able to push the emergency release lever on the door about halfway, and several passengers said they feared for their lives, according to the statement.

Had the plane been flying at a lower altitude, the door could have opened with the lever released halfway, a flight attendant said.

Two hours after takeoff, the plane landed back at the Seattle Tacoma airport at 7.10pm. Police boarded the plane to arrest Hudek, who was handcuffed and rolled out in a wheelchair.

But he remained 'combative and noncompliant', overturning the wheelchair in the middle of the airport, KIRO reported.

Hudek (above) was arrested when the plane landed back in Seattle. Police said he remained 'combative and noncompliant' although his grandfather said it was 'so out of character'

All 210 people on board deplaned. Two were sent to the hospital with several facial injuries, although they are non-life threatening.

Joseph was charged with interfering with a flight crew and ordered to stay behind bars until next Thursday's detention hearing.

Hudek's grandfather Joseph Hudek said the 23-year-old had been visiting Beijing to see a friend, adding Joseph was a frequent flier with no previous incidents.

'He's a great kid, he's a real good guy; he works hard, saves his money, I don't know what happened,' his grandfather, Joseph Hudek said to Q13.

'This is so out of character of him, I can't believe it,' Hudek said.