Passengers arrested after alleged abuse and assault on plane, passengers restrained with duct tape to seat

A passenger was duct-taped to his seat on a plane in the United States after allegedly attacking a fellow passenger and making racist and homophobic slurs at a flight attendant.

The passenger, identified as 67-year-old Arthur Lundin, is from Arizona. The incident occurred on Friday (September 5) on an American Airlines flight from Texas to Newark, New Jersey.

Witnesses say that about two hours into the flight, Lundin grabbed a passenger sitting next to him by the throat. Several passengers, including a black female flight attendant and a former police officer, tried to restrain him. He is also alleged to have used racist and homophobic slurs.

A video of the incident shows Lundin being held to the seat with duct tape, with his hands bound with zip ties. 

"Everything changed so suddenly," said former police officer Juan Mejia. "In an instant, the calm atmosphere turned into screaming and chaos. I looked back and saw the man sitting next to me, his hand on his throat."

According to Mejia, after they intervened, Lundin used "racist slurs, foul language" and was also extremely offensive towards women.

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the plane diverted to Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI) at approximately 10:15 p.m. local time. The FAA is investigating the incident.
Mejia stayed with Lundin until the plane landed in Baltimore. After the plane landed, law enforcement officers boarded the plane and took him into custody.

Police said Lundin has been charged with disorderly conduct and second-degree assault for the incident that occurred inside the plane at BWI Airport.

The FBI said it is currently speaking with those involved to determine the true facts of the incident. It will then consult with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland on whether to file federal charges.

There have been previous incidents of passengers being duct taped to their seats on a flight in the United States. In 2024, a passenger on a flight from Milwaukee to Dallas tried to force open the plane's door and injured a flight attendant. He was later duct taped to his seat.

According to the FAA, there have been more than 1,160 reports of unruly passengers so far this year. In addition to criminal penalties, the FAA can impose fines of up to $43,000 if a passenger "assaults, threatens, intimidates, or obstructs" flight attendants.

Source: The Telegraph