The passenger who caused an American Airlines flight to be diverted and who was later restrained with duct tape and zip ties has been identified as Layne Arthur Lundeen, a 67-year-old realtor from Tucson, Arizona. The incident occurred on American Airlines flight 618 traveling from Dallas to Newark on Thursday night.
According to police reports, Lundeen became disruptive, using obscene language and hurling racial and anti-gay slurs at a flight attendant and other passengers. The behavior prompted the flight crew to divert the plane to Baltimore.
Upon landing in Baltimore, law enforcement met the aircraft to assist with the customer's removal. The FBI confirmed that Lundeen was arrested by Maryland Transportation Police. He faces state charges of second-degree assault and disorderly conduct. The FBI is continuing its investigation and will consult with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland to determine if federal charges will be filed.
Witnesses on board described Lundeen becoming belligerent towards airline staff and passengers. Juan Mejia, a former law enforcement officer who was on the flight, told ABC News that he and his friend Richard Olenick intervened when Lundeen began his outburst. Olenick then assisted Mejia in restraining Lundeen, who was bound to his seat with duct tape.
Footage from the flight shows Lundeen secured to his chair with his hands, head, and torso bound. Lundeen's LinkedIn profile previously listed him as a vice president at Long Realty in Tucson, but the profile has since been removed from the site.
An American Airlines representative stated that the flight was diverted due to a "disruptive customer" and that law enforcement assisted with the passenger's deplaning before the flight continued to its destination.