Disruptive Passenger Duct-Taped to First-Class Seat as Plane Makes Emergency Landing
Crew and passengers restrained the man with duct tape and zip ties after he allegedly attacked others and used racist and anti-gay slurs, police said.
- On Thursday, American Airlines Flight 618 diverted to Baltimore Washington International Airport after Arthur Layne Lundeen, 67, of Arizona allegedly became violent and used racial slurs, leading to his arrest.
- Fellow passenger Mejia told CBS News the situation went "just like a light switch" from quiet to "yelling and chaos," with everyone in first class victimized by the man's "spewing of hatred."
- Olenick, who helped restrain Lundeen, said "I didn't know how far this was gonna go," while photographs showed the man bound to his first-class seat with bloody injuries to his arms.
- Maryland authorities charged Lundeen with second-degree assault and disorderly conduct, while the FAA warns of civil penalties up to $43,658 and potential loss of TSA PreCheck eligibility.
- The FAA reports more than 1,160 unruly incidents in 2026, more than 80 percent below 2021 levels, as American Airlines reaffirmed that passenger safety is its "top priority.
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Who is Arthur Lundeen? Man duct-taped to seat mid-flight after hurling racist, anti-LGBTQ slurs
Arthur Lundeen was arrested after American Airlines Flight 618, travelling from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport in Texas to Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, was diverted to Baltimore following a disturbance involving the passenger.
'Disruptive' American Airlines Passenger Duct-Taped To Seat After Screaming N-Word & Anti-Gay Insults, Forcing Emergency Landing
A “disruptive customer” was duct-taped to a seat aboard an American Airlines flight on September 3, the airline said. In a statement, the airline said flight 618 from Dallas to Newark was diverted to Baltimore “due to a disruptive customer.” Layne Arthur Lundeen, 67, a Tucson resident, was the cause of the disturbance on American Airlines […] The post ‘Disruptive’ American Airlines Passenger Duct-Taped To Seat After Screaming N-Word & Anti-Gay I…
Arthur Lundeen, 67, was arrested after presenting uncontrolled behavior on board a flight from Dallas to Newark.
An angry passenger turned a flight into a mess after he attacked a passenger and directed abusive language, and the passengers and crew stepped in and tied him to the tape. What happened on the plane?
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