Incident Details
An American Airlines flight from Dallas to Newark was diverted to Baltimore on Thursday night after a passenger allegedly became violent and used racist and anti-gay slurs, leading crew and fellow passengers to restrain him with duct tape. The incident occurred on American Airlines Flight 618, which landed at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport at around 10:15 p.m. The passenger, later identified by police as 67-year-old Arthur Lundeen of Arizona, was taken into custody by Maryland Transportation Authority Police, according to the FBI's Baltimore field office.
Witnesses described a chaotic scene in the first-class cabin. Michelle Ng-Reyes, a passenger, told NBC New York that Lundeen was "thrashing around" in his seat as flight crew and other passengers tried to restrain him. Ng-Reyes said other passengers heard the man direct racially offensive remarks at the man sitting next to him, and that he appeared to target flight attendants who were Black.
Restraint and Passenger Accounts
Video and photos obtained by TMZ show the man bound to his seat with duct tape around his upper body and head, with cuts visible on his arms. Witnesses told TMZ that the man appeared intoxicated and began shouting at his seatmate, and that when a flight attendant intervened, he directed a racist slur at her and made homophobic remarks. The man then became violent, leading crew and other passengers to subdue him, according to witnesses. Ng-Reyes described how three men held him down, with one saying, "Stop moving, please stop yelling, just sit down." She added that they physically restrained him because they were worried he might try to go into the cockpit.
Passengers at BWI on Friday expressed shock at the images. Jeff Vogel, a passenger at the airport, told Baltimore News that while he had heard of unruly passengers being restrained, he had never experienced anything similar. "Most of the flights I've been on have been pretty calm," Vogel said. "But I've heard of flights where people are quite unruly and they have had to restrain people with zip ties and tape and all sorts of things." Another passenger, Jim Lucken, said he was glad other passengers and crew members were able to restrain the man.
Legal Proceedings
Lundeen faces state charges of second-degree assault and disorderly conduct, according to Baltimore News. The FBI's Baltimore field office is investigating the incident and consulting with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland to determine whether federal charges will be filed. "The FBI is currently conducting interviews to gather the facts and will consult with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland to determine if federal charges will be filed," the bureau said in a statement. The FAA is also investigating. Baltimore News reported that Lundeen was released on bail on his own recognizance, with a trial scheduled for Oct. 19 in Glen Burnie.
Airline and Regulatory Response
American Airlines said in a statement that the flight was diverted "due to a disruptive customer" and that "law enforcement met the aircraft and assisted with deplaning the customer before the flight continued to its destination." The airline added, "The safety and security of our customers and team members is our top priority and we do not tolerate violence. We thank our team members for their professionalism and our customers for their understanding."
The Federal Aviation Administration reported more than 1,160 unruly passenger incidents so far in 2026, a figure that underscores ongoing challenges facing airlines. The incident on Flight 618 is among several recent cases where passengers have been physically restrained during flights, highlighting the severity of such disruptions.
Passenger Anjou Ahlborn Kay, who shared footage on social media, described the man as 'bigoted' and 'disturbing,' according to The Sun. The flight ultimately continued to Newark after the passenger was removed in Baltimore.