Unruly Passenger Duct-Taped on Flight: Who Is Arthur Lundeen?
An American Airlines passenger was arrested after allegedly becoming violent on a flight from Dallas to Newark, leading other passengers to restrain him with duct tape and zip ties.
Arthur Layne Lundeen, 67, of Arizona, was arrested after American Airlines Flight 618 was diverted to Baltimore Washington International (BWI) Airport on Thursday night after he allegedly became violent and used racial slurs. He has been charged with second-degree assault and disorderly conduct in Maryland.
The incident comes as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) continues to record more than 1,000 reports of unruly passenger behavior each year, although numbers remain far below a surge seen during the COVID-19 pandemic. The FAA says the rate of incidents has fallen by more than 80 percent from record highs in early 2021.
Newsweek has contacted Lundeen, American Airlines, and the FBI for comment via email outside of regular working hours.
What Happened on American Airlines Flight 618?
The flight was traveling from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport to Newark Liberty International Airport when the incident took place. Juan Mejia, a passenger and former law enforcement officer, said that Lundeen became increasingly belligerent and used vulgar language and racial slurs during the flight.
Mejia and another passenger, Richard Olenick, intervened after the situation allegedly became physical.
“Just like a light switch, all of a sudden, it went from quiet to yelling and chaos,” Mejia told CBS News. “I turned around to look, and the poor gentleman that was sitting next to him in the aisle seat, the individual had his hands around his neck and was, like, assaulting him.”
“Everyone who was in first class was basically victimized by his spewing of hatred and the discrimination, and the hostility, and vulgarness that was coming out of his mouth,” Mejia added.
Lundeen was eventually restrained to his seat with duct tape while his hands were secured with zip ties. Photographs taken on board show a man bound to a first-class seat with bloody injuries to his arms. Duct tape and flexible handcuffs are often found on commercial flights to restrain violent or disruptive passengers.
“I didn’t know how far this was gonna go,” Olenick said in an interview with CBS New York when asked about restraining Lundeen. “I didn’t know what this gentleman’s intentions were. So we absolutely knew that we had to get involved and take control of the situation.”
The flight diverted to Baltimore, where Lundeen was removed by law enforcement before the aircraft continued on to Newark.
American Airlines told ABC News that it does not tolerate violence and that the safety of its passengers and employees was its “top priority.”
Who Is Arthur Lundeen?
Arthur Layne Lundeen is a 67-year-old resident of Tucson, Arizona.
His LinkedIn profile lists him as an associate broker, realtor, and vice president member of the executive council at Tucson-based Long Realty Company. His contact information page on the Long Realty website is currently not active. Newsweek has contacted Long Realty for confirmation via email outside of regular working hours.
Court records list charges of second-degree assault and disorderly conduct, both misdemeanors, in the District Court for Anne Arundel County in Maryland. Lundeen was released following an initial appearance on September 4 and is due back in court on October 19.
FAA Confirms Investigation
The FAA has confirmed it is investigating the incident. In a statement, the agency said Flight 618 “landed safely” after the crew reported a passenger disturbance and later continued to its final destination.
No federal charges had been announced as of September 6. The FBI says it investigates crimes committed aboard aircraft including assaults and interference with flight crews through threats, intimidation or physical violence.
Unruly Passenger Incidents
More than 1,160 unruly passenger incidents have been reported to the FAA so far in 2026, according to the agency’s current data.
The agency reports that overall incident rates remain more than 80 percent below the record levels reached in early 2021, when nearly 6,000 incidents were reported over the year.
Passengers can face both civil fines and criminal prosecution for bad behavior on flights. The FAA can impose civil penalties of up to $43,658 for each violation in an unruly passenger case, and a single incident can result in multiple violations and therefore multiple fines. The agency can also pursue enforcement against passengers who assault, threaten, intimidate or interfere with airline crew members. Serious cases can also be referred to the FBI for potential criminal prosecution.
Under federal law, assaulting or intimidating a flight crew member in a way that interferes with their duties can carry a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, as well as a fine. Where a dangerous weapon is used, the law provides for a prison sentence of any term of years or life.
The FAA also warns that unruly behavior can result in passengers losing TSA PreCheck eligibility or being placed on an airline’s internal no-fly list.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Matthew Cannon and Cristina Diciu.
