A routine American Airlines flight descended into chaos Thursday night when a passenger allegedly became unruly, forcing the aircraft to divert to Baltimore, authorities and the airline said.
Arthur Lundeen, 67, of Arizona, was ultimately restrained to his seat with duct tape, while his hands were secured with zip ties, according to Maryland Transportation Authority Police. Officers arrested him after the plane landed.
The dramatic incident unfolded aboard American Airlines Flight 618, which had departed Dallas and was bound for Newark, according to the FBI and the airline.
Passenger Juan Mejia, a former law enforcement officer who was aboard the flight, said the disturbance began roughly three-quarters of the way through the journey.
Mejia said Lundeen allegedly became increasingly belligerent, directing derogatory remarks and racial slurs at airline employees and fellow passengers while using vulgar and offensive language toward women seated nearby.
Mejia and his friend Richard Olenick said they watched the situation escalate and eventually intervened after Lundeen allegedly became physical.
“Juan immediately knew that action had to be taken,” Olenick said. “He got up right away and jumped into the seat next to the passenger and began working on restraining him in order to keep the situation contained.”
Authorities have not released detailed information about what happened during the flight. But around 10:15 p.m., the aircraft was diverted to Baltimore/Washington International Airport, where the Federal Aviation Administration is also investigating the incident.
Mejia and Olenick said they remained with Lundeen until law enforcement officers boarded the aircraft and took him into custody.
“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.
Lundeen was removed from the aircraft, and the flight eventually continued to Newark, American Airlines said.
Following the incident, Lundeen was charged with disorderly conduct and second-degree assault for incidents that occurred aboard the aircraft at BWI Airport, according to Maryland Transportation Authority Police.
The FBI is investigating the reported conduct that occurred while the plane was in the air.
Police said Lundeen was evaluated and cleared by paramedics after officers noticed an open wound on his arm as they took him into custody.
