An American Airlines journey from Dallas to Newark descended into chaos Thursday night after a 67-year-old passenger allegedly became unruly, forcing the flight to divert to Baltimore, authorities and the airline said.
An American Airlines journey from Dallas to Newark descended into chaos Thursday night after a 67-year-old passenger allegedly became unruly, forcing the flight to divert to Baltimore, authorities and the airline said. Arthur Lundeen, 67, of Arizona, was allegedly 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 aircraft landed at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI).
The incident unfolded aboard American Airlines Flight AA 618, which had departed Dallas and was bound for Newark, according to the FBI and the airline.
Juan Mejia, a passenger on the flight and a former law enforcement officer, told ABC that he noticed trouble roughly three-quarters of the way through the journey.
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"[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 said they kept an eye on the escalating situation before stepping in after they alleged 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.
Authorities have not disclosed the precise details of what transpired during the flight. However, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which is also investigating the incident, said the aircraft diverted to BWI at around 10:15 p.m.
Mejia and Olenick said they remained with Lundeen until law enforcement officers boarded the aircraft following its landing 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, allowing the flight to continue its journey to Newark, American Airlines said.
He was subsequently charged with disorderly conduct and second-degree assault "for incidents that occurred aboard the aircraft at BWI Airport," according to MDTA Police.
Meanwhile, the FBI is investigating the reported incident that occurred while the plane was airborne.
"Lundeen was cleared by paramedics for an open wound on his arm that was noticed by officers while being taken into custody," the MTDA Police said in a statement.
American Airlines said it has a zero-tolerance approach toward violence and stressed that passenger and crew safety remains its primary concern.
"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 remains ongoing.
