Who Is Layne Arthur Lundeen? What We Know About the Passenger Duct-Taped After American Airlines Flight Chaos

An American Airlines passenger who was allegedly intoxicated and went on a racist and homophobic tirade during a flight has been identified as a 67-year-old Arizona realtor. Layne Arthur Lundeen, who is from Tucson, was reportedly restrained with duct tape by fellow passengers after the incident forced the flight to divert to Baltimore.

American Airlines Flight 618 was travelling from Dallas, Texas, to Newark, New Jersey, on Thursday night when the incident occurred. The flight was about 75% of the way through its journey when passengers said Lundeen, who was seated in first class, began shouting at the male passenger next to him.

Witnesses said Lundeen appeared to be drunk and was speaking about Jesus and going to hell. A flight attendant came over to investigate the disturbance. According to TMZ, Lundeen then allegedly directed a racial slur at a Black flight attendant and made homophobic comments.

A female passenger reportedly attempted to intervene but was pushed by Lundeen, prompting three male passengers to get up and help.

Lundeen allegedly bit one of the men and attempted to bite another. "Just like a light switch, all of a sudden, it went from quiet to yelling and chaos," Juan Mejia, a retired police officer who was on the flight, 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."

Mejia and another passenger, Richard Olenick, both seated two rows ahead, intervened.

A flight attendant gave the men duct tape, which they used to restrain Lundeen by wrapping it around his wrists, head and body and securing him to his seat.

He allegedly attempted to free himself from the restraints, but the passengers held him down until the aircraft landed.

The flight was diverted to Baltimore, where Lundeen was removed from the plane. The remaining passengers then continued their journey to Newark.

Lundeen was taken into custody on state charges. Federal charges could also be brought by the FBI, according to TMZ.

Lundeen has reportedly lived in the Tucson area since the 1980s. He was also a realtor with Long Realty, where he was reportedly a vice-president.

The company confirmed that it had ended its affiliation with him following the incident. "Long Realty is aware of reports concerning criminal charges filed against a former affiliated real estate agent arising from an incident that allegedly occurred during a commercial flight," CEO Kevin Kaplan said. "Upon learning of the incident, Long Realty promptly ended its affiliation with the individual. The individual is no longer associated with or authorized to represent Long Realty in any capacity."

"The conduct described in the reports is wholly inconsistent with the professionalism, integrity, compassion, and respect for others that Long Realty expects from those affiliated with the company," Kaplan added.

American Airlines said the flight had been diverted because of a "disruptive customer". "The safety and security of our customers and team members is our top priority, and we do not tolerate violence," a spokesperson said. "We thank our team members for their professionalism and our customers for their understanding."

Rounak is a journalist with over 7 years of experience covering geopolitical and international affairs. He has a keen interest in research and explain... View More