A 𝓈𝒽𝓸𝒸𝓀𝒾𝓃𝑔 mid-flight incident has taken a wild turn, as the passenger who had to be restrained with duct tape and zip ties on an American Airlines flight has now been identified. The man at the center of the chaos is reportedly a 67-year-old Arizona realtor.
Layne Arthur Lundeen, from Tucson, was on American Airlines flight 618 from Dallas to Newark when things reportedly spiraled out of control. According to authorities, the flight was forced to make an unscheduled stop in Baltimore after Lundeen allegedly unleashed a tirade of racial and homophobic slurs, including using the N-word toward a flight attendant.
Court documents claim Lundeen was charged with second-degree assault and disorderly conduct at the state level. The FBI has confirmed his arrest by Maryland Transportation Police and says they are now looking into whether federal charges might be filed as well.
Before the incident, Lundeen’s LinkedIn profile listed him as a vice president at Long Realty in Tucson, but sources say the page has since been removed. The company has not publicly commented on the situation.
Passengers on board described a tense scene as the situation escalated. Traveler Juan Mejia, a former law enforcement officer, told reporters that Lundeen became belligerent near the end of the flight, making offensive remarks to staff and others. Mejia and his friend Richard Olenick stepped in to help restrain him.
Olenick recalled that Mejia quickly moved to sit next to the passenger and worked to keep him contained. Video footage from the flight shows Lundeen bound to his seat with tape, his hands, head, and torso secured.
American Airlines released a statement saying the flight was diverted to Baltimore due to a disruptive customer, and law enforcement met the plane upon landing. The airline confirmed the passenger was removed before the flight continued to Newark.
As the investigation continues, many are left wondering what could have triggered such an outburst at 30,000 feet.
