An American Airlines passenger was restrained with duct tape on a flight from Dallas to Newark on 3 September 2026, after becoming racially abusive and violent towards crew and fellow travellers.
Flight AA618 from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport to Newark Liberty International Airport had to be diverted to Baltimore, where law enforcement officers met the plane. They took a 67-year-old man named Arthur Lundeen from Arizona into custody.
During the flight, Lundeen allegedly made racially abusive remarks to an air steward and struck, pushed, and bit passengers who attempted to intervene. Footage taken inside the aircraft and published on social media reveals a group of passengers and crew around the man, telling him, “Stop it” and “You’re not going anywhere”, as they restrain him.
A passenger was duct-taped to his seat after allegedly making racist and anti-gay remarks on an American Airlines flight.
— Complex (@Complex) September 4, 2026
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
An image also shows him later bound to a seat with several rounds of duct tape across his forehead, neck, shoulders, chest, torso, and arms. His hands are also trussed with the tape, as well as a yellow onboard handcuff restraint kit, typically used as a last resort when a passenger presents a danger to themselves or others. The man pictured also shows signs of a struggle, with bruising and lacerations on his arms.
The crew is reported to have contacted authorities and requested an unscheduled landing in Baltimore, Maryland. American Airlines has confirmed that the flight was diverted due to the unruly passenger and stated that customer and crew safety is its priority. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is involved in the investigation into the incident.
The US Federal Aviation Administration has recorded an increase in recent years in the number of incidents in which airline passengers have disrupted flights with threatening or violent behaviour, with a surge during the COVID-19 pandemic. Stricter enforcement policies were introduced in 2021, abandoning methods such as warnings, counselling, and civil penalties.
American Airlines passenger duct tape to his seat following unruly behavior onboard flight AA618 Thursday night.
— Breaking Aviation News & Videos (@aviationbrk) September 5, 2026
Arthur Lundeen, 67, of Arizona, was restrained to his seat with duct tape and his hands were restrained with zip ties, according to the Maryland Transportation… pic.twitter.com/s79nORwCvh
The new “zero tolerance” approach means the agency “will pursue legal enforcement action against any passenger who assaults, threatens, intimidates, or interferes with airline crew members,” an FAA announcement reads. The administration has also produced a digital toolkit to raise awareness of the change in consequences.
Severe civil and financial penalties can be applied in such cases, as well as federal criminal proceedings. Each violation can incur civil fines of tens of thousands of dollars, and these are cumulative. Guilty parties can be required to reimburse airlines for extra landing fees, jet fuel, and the cost of rebooking other passengers onto alternative flights.
Federal felonies, such as assaulting, intimidating, or threatening a crew member, can result in up to 20 years in federal prison, or even life imprisonment if a weapon has been used.
At the time of writing, the accused has been booked on Maryland state charges, and the FBI continue to consider the case for federal filing.
