An Arizona Realtor has been identified as the American Airlines passenger who was duct-taped and zip-tied to his seat following a mid-flight confrontation on Thursday.
Layne Arthur Lundeen, 67, of Tucson, allegedly hurled racial slurs and homophobic insults at a flight attendant during an American Airlines flight from Dallas to Newark.
The outburst forced Flight 618 to divert and land prematurely in Baltimore, where state and federal authorities responded to the scene.
Before restraining the passenger, former law enforcement officer Juan Mejia said he heard shouting and noticed the man becoming increasingly belligerent two rows behind him.
Describing the escalating tension, Mejia said, “[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”.
Another passenger, Richard Olenick, explained that Mejia jumped in to help contain the situation immediately.
Regarding Mejia’s fast reaction, Olenick stated that the former officer “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”.
In an official statement addressing the incident, American Airlines confirmed that Flight 618 was rerouted “due to a disruptive customer”.
Explaining the arrival of the flight, the airline added that “law enforcement met the aircraft and assisted with deplaning the customer before the flight continued to its destination”.
Lundeen was arrested by Maryland Transportation Police and subsequently charged at the state level with second-degree assault and disorderly conduct.
Commenting on the ongoing investigation, the FBI announced, “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”.