Man accused of reaching under woman's skirt on Spirit Air flight to Fort Lauderdale

DANIA BEACH - Spirit Airlines is known for cheaper flights and no frills.

It's why Kathy Callow and Michele Johnson were flying Spirit to Philadelphia out of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Friday.

"It was a real deal, so we took it," said Callow.

But one Spirit passenger got more than she bargained on Thursday night, returning to Fort Lauderdale from Dallas-Fort Worth.

The Broward Sheriff's Office said 69-year-old Jeffrey Tate assaulted her.

According to a BSO report, "Tate reached under her skirt as she walked past his seat. She screamed in fear and ran to notify the flight attendant."

A judge set bond at $7,500 when Tate appeared in court Friday and was told not to go back to the airport while his case is pending.

The FBI has a campaign warning passengers about the uptick in sexual assaults on flights, a 60 percent increase over four years.

There were nearly 100 assaults reported last year alone. As a precaution, the FBI says passengers should move seats if they feel threatened.

Also, they say to avoid drinking and using sleeping medication, keep the armrest down, and have a child sit in an aisle seat if you have a child traveling alone.

Spirit Airlines commented on the arrest, "We are aware of the allegations of a passenger on a flight from DFW.  We take any allegation of this nature seriously and are conducting a thorough investigation into the matter"