An American Airlines passenger, identified as 67-year-old Arizona realtor Arthur Layne Lundeen, was arrested within minutes of landing after his mid-flight meltdown led to the plane diverting to Baltimore. The incident occurred on a flight bound for New Jersey on September 3.
Footage obtained by TMZ shows officers surrounding the aircraft upon its arrival. Witnesses reported that police removed the duct tape binding Lundeen's arms, hands, and head before escorting him off the plane approximately 20 minutes after touchdown.
According to reports, Lundeen began exhibiting erratic behavior about two hours into the flight, which originated in Texas. He allegedly screamed homophobic slurs and used racial epithets directed at a Black flight attendant. The situation escalated as Lundeen reportedly began to attack passengers, including his seatmate, identified as author Jonathan Cahn.
Cahn described the sudden shift in Lundeen's demeanor, stating, "I have never seen someone change in a split second from light to dark as I saw then, as if something had taken him over." Cahn recounted that Lundeen became agitated after a discussion about faith, yelling, "It's all bulls–t. Jesus is bulls–t," before allegedly attempting to grab Cahn's laptop and hitting him.
During the altercation, Lundeen also allegedly made derogatory comments about passengers' genitalia. It remains unclear if alcohol or other substances were a factor, though footage appeared to show him slurring his words.
Following the incident, Lundeen was terminated from his position as a realtor. He was subsequently charged with misdemeanors for disorderly conduct and assault.