New Delhi: A routine American Airlines flight from Dallas to Newark turned into an airborne episode of chaos last week, when passengers and crew were forced to duct-tape and zip-tie an unruly traveller to his seat after an alleged racist and homophobic outburst.
Videos from Flight 618 quickly went viral, showing a man bound to his seat with duct tape wrapped around his head and torso and wrists secured with zip-ties, making him look like a modern-day mummy. The scene looked less like a commercial flight and more like a scene from a comedy movie. But according to the witnesses, the situation had become serious enough to warrant such extreme measures.
The passenger at the centre of the situation has been identified as Arthur Layne Lundeen, 67, a Tucson-based realtor and vice president at Arizona’s Long Realty.
Within days of the incident, Long Realty, where Lundeen was listed as Vice President, sacked him. The company said the conduct described in reports was “wholly inconsistent with the professionalism, integrity, compassion, and respect for others” expected of its representatives. Lundeen’s profile was also removed from the company’s website and LinkedIn.
Earlier, according to witnesses, the disturbance began at 10:15 pm as the flight prepared for landing. Lundeen allegedly launched into an aggressive tirade directed at the passenger sitting next to him. When the flight attendant stepped in to de-escalate the situation, witnesses said Lundeen responded by hurling racist and homophobic slurs, including the N-word.
Passengers onboard described the situation as rapidly spiralling out of control. Lundeen apparently hit the passenger beside him and even damaged his laptop in the altercation. He also reportedly shoved a female passenger who tried to intervene.
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Flight diverted
Juan Mejia, a former law enforcement officer travelling on the same flight, told ABC News that Lundeen was seated two rows behind him when he began verbally abusing airline staff and fellow passengers.
“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,” Mejia said.
As the situation began to spiral out of control, Mejia, along with fellow passenger Richard Olenick, stepped in to help. According to them, Lundeen was growing aggressive even toward the flight attendant. Concerned for everybody’s safety, several passengers joined the crew members in restraining him with duct tape and zip ties until the aircraft could land safely. That is how Lundeen found himself ‘tied’ in a ‘sticky’ situation.
American Airlines later confirmed that the flight was diverted to Baltimore “due to a disruptive customer”. Once the flight landed, Lundeen was removed and the flight resumed its journey to Newark.
The FBI confirmed that Lundeen has been charged with second-degree assault and disorderly conduct. Federal authorities are also investigating the incident and have not ruled out additional charges.
“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.
(Edited by Aamaan Alam Khan)