American Airlines Passenger Duct-Taped to Seat After Racist, Homophobic Midair Outburst

An American Airlines flight from Dallas-Fort Worth to Newark was forced to divert to Baltimore after a 67-year-old passenger allegedly unleashed a racist and homophobic tirade, attacked fellow travelers, and had to be restrained with duct tape and zip ties by fellow passengers and crew.

BALTIMORE – A routine cross-country flight descended into chaos Thursday night when an unruly passenger was subdued and duct-taped to his seat after allegedly screaming racial slurs, making anti-gay remarks, and assaulting other travelers on American Airlines Flight 618 .

The suspect, later identified as Arthur Lundeen, 67, of Tucson, Arizona, was arrested by Maryland Transportation Authority Police after the plane was diverted to Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport around 10:15 p.m. . He was charged with second-degree assault and disorderly conduct and released on his own recognizance, with a trial scheduled for Oct. 19 in Glen Burnie .

A Sudden Explosion of Violence

The incident occurred about two hours into the flight . According to witnesses, the man, who appeared to be intoxicated, began screaming at a male passenger seated next to him, allegedly shouting about "Jesus and going to hell" .

When a Black flight attendant attempted to intervene, the man allegedly called her a racial slur and also shouted homophobic remarks . The situation escalated when he struck the passenger next to him, allegedly placing his hands around the man's neck and destroying his computer .

Passenger Heroes Intervene

Juan Mejia, a retired law enforcement officer, and his friend Richard Olenick, also a former police officer, were seated two rows ahead and sprang into action .

"Just like a light switch, all of a sudden, it went from quiet to yelling and chaos," Mejia told CBS Texas . "I turned around to look, and the poor gentleman that was sitting next to him in the aisle seat, the individual had his hands around his neck and was, like, assaulting him" .

Olenick said the man had begun hitting a woman who tried to help, prompting the group to step in . "My training from the past when I was police kicked in," Olenick said. "It was just, yeah, this isn't happening on my flight" .

Restrained Like a 'Mummy'

Flight attendants provided zip ties and duct tape to the passengers, who worked to subdue the man . Initially, zip ties were insufficient to hold him, so they resorted to wrapping duct tape around his wrists, torso, and head, securing him to his seat .

"He was thrashing around," passenger Michelle Ng-Reyes told NBC New York. "The three men that were holding him down were saying things like 'Stop moving, please stop yelling, just sit down'" .

An air marshal aboard the flight also helped subdue the suspect .

"The flight attendant gave us the duct tape. We weren't looking to hurt this individual; we were looking more to restrain him and control him, so it didn't escalate to go any further," Mejia told ABC News .

The incident transformed what should have been a 3.5-hour journey into an eight-hour ordeal for the other 134 passengers .

Investigation and Airline Response

The FBI confirmed it is investigating the incident and consulting with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland to determine if federal charges will be filed .

"The safety and security of our customers and team members is our top priority and we do not tolerate violence," American Airlines said in a statement. "We thank our team members for their professionalism and our customers for their understanding" .

The incident adds to a troubling trend in air travel. The Federal Aviation Administration has already received 1,163 reports of unruly passengers in 2026, with fines of up to $43,658 per violation possible .

For now, the passengers and crew of Flight 618 have returned to their routines, but the chaotic images of a man wrapped in duct tape on a commercial airliner will not soon be forgotten — a stark reminder of how quickly an ordinary flight can turn into a scene of crisis.