Overview
- A 67‑year‑old passenger identified as Arthur Layne Lundeen was restrained by crew and fellow travelers with zip ties and layers of duct tape on American Airlines Flight 618 after the plane diverted to Baltimore on Thursday, Sept. 3.
- Maryland Transportation Authority police removed Lundeen from the aircraft and state prosecutors charged him with second‑degree assault and disorderly conduct.
- Newly released video shows officers talking with Lundeen in his first‑class seat and then removing him from the plane, and other footage captures him shouting insults and slurs while taped to the seat.
- A seatmate who says he was attacked has provided a firsthand account that contradicts early reports that Lundeen was preaching, saying the passenger initiated a conversation then became hostile, allegedly physically grabbed and struck others, and bit one rescuer.
- The FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office are reviewing the case for possible federal charges and the incident is prompting scrutiny of airline protocols because improvised restraints by passengers and crew raise legal and safety questions.