Crew members and passengers on an American Airlines flight bound for Newark restrained an unruly traveler with duct tape and zip ties on Thursday night, forcing the plane to divert to Baltimore, where the man was arrested, according to the airline and investigators. The incident on the duct tape unruly passenger flight, American Airlines flight AA 618, took place as the plane traveled from Dallas to Newark Liberty International Airport.
Arthur Lundeen, 67, of Arizona, was restrained to his seat with duct tape and his hands were restrained with zip ties, according to the Maryland Transportation Authority Police, which arrested him after the plane landed. Authorities did not release additional details about what triggered the disruption in the air.
The plane was diverted to Baltimore Washington International (BWI) Airport around 10:15 p.m., the Federal Aviation Administration said. The FAA, along with the FBI, is also probing the incident.
The mid-flight duct tape restraint of an unruly passenger
Juan Mejia, a passenger on the flight and a former law enforcement officer, told ABC he began hearing a disturbance about three quarters of the way through the journey.
“[The] gentleman sitting two rows behind us started becoming belligerent, making derogatory remarks to the staff of American Airlines and other passengers, racial slurs, vulgar language, very offensive to the women” sitting in the row behind the man, Mejia said.
Mejia and his friend Richard Olenick, who were also on board, told ABC they monitored the situation and stepped in after they said Lundeen became physical.
“Juan immediately knew that action had to be taken. He got up right away and jumped in the seat right next to the passenger and began working on restraining him in order to keep the situation contained,” Olenick told ABC.
The two passengers said they stayed with Lundeen until law enforcement officers boarded the plane and took him into custody after landing in Baltimore.
“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 said.
Aftermath and charges
Lundeen was removed from the aircraft, and the flight continued on to Newark, American Airlines said in a statement. He was charged with disorderly conduct and second-degree assault “for incidents that occurred aboard the aircraft at BWI Airport,” according to the MDTA Police. The FBI is separately investigating the reported disturbance that unfolded during the flight itself.
MDTA Police said in a statement that Lundeen “was cleared by paramedics for an open wound on his arm that was noticed by officers while being taken into custody.”
“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. The FBI said its investigation is ongoing.
Background
Unruly passenger incidents aboard commercial flights fall under the jurisdiction of the Federal Aviation Administration, which can pursue civil penalties and works with carriers and law enforcement to address disruptive behavior. The FBI routinely reviews serious onboard disturbances and, alongside local and state police, pursues criminal charges when warranted. American Airlines, headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, operates a major domestic hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, the city where flight AA 618 originated. Newark Liberty International Airport, in New Jersey, serves as another key hub for the carrier’s transcontinental service, handling millions of travelers each year.
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