An American Airlines flight from Dallas to Newark was diverted to Baltimore on Thursday night after a 67-year-old Arizona man allegedly became unruly on board, prompting passengers and crew to restrain him to his seat using duct tape and zip ties before law enforcement officers took him into custody, according to the airline and investigators.
Arthur Lundeen was arrested after the plane landed at Baltimore Washington International (BWI) Airport, the Maryland Transportation Authority Police said. The MDTA Police charged him with disorderly conduct and second-degree assault “for incidents that occurred aboard the aircraft at BWI Airport,” according to a statement.
What passengers reported on board
The incident took place on American Airlines flight AA 618, which took off from Dallas and was en route to Newark, according to the FBI and the airline. Juan Mejia, a passenger on the flight and a former law enforcement officer, told ABC he began hearing a disturbance about three quarters of the way into the flight.
“[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” sitting in the row behind the man, Mejia said.
Mejia and his friend Richard Olenick, who were on board the flight, told ABC they were monitoring the situation and intervened after they claimed Lundeen became physical.
“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.
How the diversion unfolded
Authorities did not provide details of the disruption that took place during the flight, but the plane was diverted to Baltimore Washington International (BWI) Airport around 10:15 p.m., the Federal Aviation Administration, which is also probing the incident, said. The two passengers said they stayed with Lundeen until law enforcement officials boarded the plane and took him into custody after they landed in Baltimore.
“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.
Lundeen was removed from the plane and the flight continued to Newark, American Airlines said in a statement.
Investigations and charges
“Lundeen was cleared by paramedics for an open wound on his arm that was noticed by officers while being taken into custody,” the MDTA Police said in a statement. The FBI said the investigation is ongoing.
“The safety and security of our customers and team members is our top priority and we do not tolerate violence,” American Airlines said in a statement.
Background on the agencies involved
The Maryland Transportation Authority Police are the law enforcement division that patrols Maryland’s transportation facilities, including BWI Airport, and handles arrests and charges arising from incidents at those locations. The FBI investigates federal crimes and works alongside local agencies when conduct aboard a commercial flight is alleged to violate federal law. The Federal Aviation Administration oversees civil aviation safety in the United States and typically reviews reports of disruptive passenger behaviour on commercial aircraft.
Reported by 6abc.
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