American Airlines flight took off normally from Dallas, then a passenger’s alleged meltdown forced others to duct-tape and zip-tie him to his seat

An American Airlines flight headed from Dallas to Newark was forced to divert to Baltimore on Thursday night after a passenger allegedly went on a violent, hateful rampage that resulted in him being duct-taped to his seat. The situation escalated to a point where fellow travelers and crew members had to physically restrain the individual to keep everyone on board safe.

According to ABC 7, the incident occurred on American Airlines flight 618. Investigators and the airline confirmed that the flight was diverted to Baltimore Washington International Airport around 10:15 PM. Per TMZ, the passenger appeared to be intoxicated and began screaming at a male passenger sitting next to him. The situation took a turn for the worse when the man started yelling about Jesus and going to hell.

When a Black flight attendant approached to de-escalate the situation, the passenger reportedly turned his aggression toward the crew member. TMZ reported that the man called the flight attendant the n-word and directed anti-gay slurs at him. The NY Post noted that the man’s behavior continued to deteriorate as he began striking his seatmate and smashing the person’s computer. 

Escalating violence

Per the outlet, a female passenger attempted to intervene to help the seatmate. In retaliation, the passenger allegedly pushed her back, prompting three other male passengers to jump into action. The crew provided duct tape and zip ties to the passengers, who then worked together to secure the unruly man to his seat. Photos and video footage of the incident show the man restrained like a mummy, with tape covering his torso, head, and hands. 

Two of the men were identified by ABC 7. One was Juan Mejia, a former law enforcement officer, and the other, friend Richard Olenick. “Juan immediately knew that action had to be taken. He 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,” Olenick told ABC.

Mejia told ABC, “We weren’t looking to hurt this individual; we were looking more to restrain him and control him, so it didn’t escalate to go any further,” Mejia said. The passengers remained with the man until the plane landed in Baltimore and law enforcement officials could board the aircraft to take him into custody. On a British Airways flight, a flight attendant successfully corralled an unruly passenger with firm commands, which then became the hook to an EDM track.

The individual was later identified as 67-year-old Arthur Lundeen of Arizona. According to the Maryland Transportation Authority Police, Lundeen was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct and second-degree assault “for incidents that occurred aboard the aircraft at BWI Airport.” The police also noted that Lundeen was cleared by paramedics for an open wound on his arm that was noticed while he was being taken into custody.

American Airlines issued a formal statement to TMZ, noting, “On Sept. 3, American Airlines flight 618 diverted to Baltimore (BWI) due to a disruptive customer. Upon arrival, law enforcement met the aircraft and assisted with deplaning the customer before the flight continued to its destination.” 

The airline further noted, “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.”

While the state charges have been filed, the federal government is also looking into the situation, per the NY Post. An FBI spokesperson confirmed, “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 Federal Aviation Administration is also probing the incident, stating that there have been more than “1,160 unruly passenger incidents so far in 2026.” Recently, an emergency landing after a passenger tried to open the emergency door led to the flight being grounded overnight. However, according to ABC, once Lundeen was removed from the flight, it continued onward to Newark.