A 67-year-old man from Arizona has been arrested after allegedly causing an incident on an American Airlines flight, forcing the crew to divert the plane to Baltimore.
The incident occurred on AA Flight 618, which was en route from Dallas to Newark. According to the FBI and the airline, during the flight, passenger Arthur Lundeen allegedly behaved aggressively and caused a disturbance among passengers and staff.
Passenger Juan Mejia, a former law enforcement officer, said the situation escalated about three-quarters of the way into the flight. He said Lundeen insulted airline employees and other passengers, used vulgar language and racist slurs, and made derogatory comments about several women.
Mejia and his friend, Richard Olenick, intervened after the 67-year-old allegedly became physically aggressive, CNN writes.
"Juan immediately realized he had to intervene. He got up, sat next to the passenger and started holding him so that the situation remained under control," Olenick said.
The passenger was bound with duct tape and his hands were tied with plastic ties. The two passengers who intervened stayed with him until the plane landed.
The plane diverted to Baltimore-Washington International Airport at around 10:15 p.m. After landing, police boarded the plane and arrested Lundeen. The flight then continued to Newark.
Maryland Transportation Authority police announced that Lundeen is charged with disorderly conduct and second-degree assault, for incidents that occurred both on the plane and at the airport.
During the arrest, officers noticed that the 67-year-old had an open wound on his arm. He was taken for a medical examination.
The FBI is investigating the incident, while the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has also launched an investigation into the flight diversion.
"We didn't want to hurt this person. Our goal was to stop him and keep the situation under control so that there was no further escalation," Mejia said.
American Airlines stated that the safety of passengers and staff remains the company's top priority and that it does not tolerate violence. /Telegraph
