‘Abusive’ Unruly Aircraft Passenger On Texas Flight Restrained With Duct Tape and Zip Ties
A flight from Texas turned into a drama in the sky when an unruly aircraft passenger caused a scene. The man, identified by police as 67-year-old Arthur Lundeen of Arizona, per ABC News, was restrained and caused American Airlines Flight 618, traveling from Dallas Fort Worth to Newark, New Jersey, to make an emergency landing in Baltimore, Maryland, on Thursday night. Meanwhile, other passengers on the flight documented the situation with video and photos.
Passengers Richard Olenick and Juan Mejia tell CNN that more than halfway through the flight from Texas, Lundeen, who sat two rows behind them, began causing issues. He eventually became aggressive as a flight attendant tried to get a handle on the situation. However, that didn’t work.
Unruly Aircraft Passenger Turns Violent on Texas Flight
According to Olenick, the passenger became violent and began to hit the person sitting next to him. He also attempted to attack a woman who tried to intervene during the chaos. Once it became clear that the situation might not be diffused in an orderly manner, retired New Jersey police officer Mejia took over, with Olenick and a third passenger following behind him.
“He was starting to become abusive and started using profanity,” Olenick detailed the situation. The man also used “racial and homophobic slurs,” according to both men. A flight attendant handed the men a zip tie, which they used to restrain Lundeen’s wrists as he told them to “get off me.”
The man then bit Mejia and attempted to bite Olenick, prompting the men to use duct tape from a flight attendant to further restrain him, though they made sure not to cover his mouth so he could keep breathing.
Passengers Step In to Restrain the Man
“Physically, it lessened his ability to move for sure, but it did not solve the issue. He was still pushing and resisting and trying to get up,” Olenick said. Olenick was forced to sit on the man’s lap to help restrain him until the plane made its emergency landing in Maryland 15 minutes later. Maryland Transportation Authority Police arrested Lundeen after the flight landed.
American Airlines is now speaking out about the incident, praising their employees for how they handled the situation. “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. “We thank our team members for their professionalism and our customers for their understanding.”
Online, netizens shared their thoughts on the incident. “This passenger should never be permitted to fly again. You know how severe of a penalty that is in the modern world? The heroic passengers should never have to pay for a flight again,” one person commented via X.
A Growing Problem in the Skies
Incidents like this one aren’t as rare as they might seem. According to the FAA, there have been more than 1,160 reports of unruly passengers so far this year alone. Beyond potential criminal charges, the agency can also pursue civil fines exceeding $43,000 against passengers who assault, threaten, or interfere with airline crew members.
As unruly aircraft passenger incidents continue to climb, this Texas flight is the latest reminder of just how quickly things can escalate at 30,000 feet.
