The man who was duct-taped to his seat by other passengers on American Airlines Flight 618 is Arthur Layne Lundeen, 67, a Tucson realtor listed as an associate broker and vice president-level member of Long Realty’s Tanque Verde team.
As The Gateway Pundit reported when the cabin video first spread, the Dallas-to-Newark flight diverted to Baltimore/Washington International on Thursday night after a passenger was accused of assaulting other passengers and calling an attendant the n-word.
Witnesses Juan Mejia and Richard Olenick, who helped hold him, told CBS the man two rows back went off on staff and passengers with racial slurs, anti-gay insults, and language aimed at women, then fought when people stepped in.
A passenger was duct-taped to his seat after allegedly making racist and anti-gay remarks on an American Airlines flight.
According to TMZ, the man allegedly used the N-word toward a Black flight attendant and became violent, hitting another passenger and pushing a woman who… pic.twitter.com/GuqwkeEdoh
— Complex (@Complex) September 4, 2026
“[The] gentleman sitting two rows behind us started becoming belligerent, making derogatory remarks to the staff of American Airlines and other passengers, racial slurs, vulgar language, very offensive to the women,” Mejia said.
Mejia explained that he moved into the next seat to contain him.
The New York Times reported that Lundeen struggled, yelled that the plane was going down, and bit Mejia’s hand before a flight attendant handed over tape that Mejia wrapped around the man’s body, seat, and head.
Maryland Transportation Authority Police booked Lundeen on misdemeanor second-degree assault and disorderly conduct.
Lundeen waived a lawyer at an initial appearance Friday, was released on his own recognizance, and is due back in Anne Arundel County District Court on October 19.
The FBI is interviewing witnesses and will talk to the U.S. Attorney for Maryland about federal charges.
“The FBI is currently conducting interviews to gather the facts and will consult with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland to determine if federal charges will be filed,” the bureau said in a statement.
The FAA is also investigating.
American Airlines said the diversion was “due to a disruptive customer” and that employee and passenger safety comes first.
Long Realty’s public contact page for him is down, but the company has not publicly commented on the incident.
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