An American Airlines flight travelling from Dallas-Fort Worth to Newark was diverted to Baltimore after a passenger allegedly became violent and had to be restrained and duct-taped to his seat.
The incident occurred about two hours into the flight on Thursday night, with witnesses saying the passenger’s behaviour suddenly escalated, creating chaos aboard the aircraft.
Juan Mejia, a retired law enforcement officer who was on the flight, said the situation changed abruptly.
“Just like a light switch, all of a sudden, it went from quiet to yelling and chaos,” Mejia said.
He said he turned around and saw the passenger attacking the man seated beside him.
“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,” he added.
Mejia and another passenger, Richard Olenick, who were seated two rows ahead, intervened to help restrain the man.
According to the witnesses, a flight attendant provided zip ties, which were used to restrain the passenger. Duct tape was also used to secure him to his seat.
A photograph shared by Olenick showed the passenger with several loops of duct tape around his wrists, torso and head.
The witnesses also alleged that the passenger verbally abused a flight attendant, including using a racial slur and making homophobic remarks, before his behaviour became violent.
The disruption forced the aircraft to divert to Baltimore, where law enforcement officers removed the passenger from the plane.
After the passenger was taken into custody, the flight continued its journey to Newark.
American Airlines, in a statement, said the safety of its passengers and crew remained its priority.
“The safety and security of our customers and team members is our top priority and we do not tolerate violence,” the airline said.
“We thank our team members for their professionalism and our customers for their understanding.”
The FBI confirmed that the passenger was in custody on state charges while federal authorities investigate the incident.
“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 agency said.
Authorities had not released the suspect’s identity as of the time of the report.
