An American Airlines flight from Dallas-Fort Worth to Newark was diverted to Baltimore after a passenger allegedly became violent and had to be restrained and secured to his seat with duct tape.
The incident occurred about two hours into the flight on Thursday night, after the passenger’s behaviour reportedly escalated suddenly, causing panic and disruption among those on board.
Juan Mejia, a retired law enforcement officer travelling on the flight, said the situation changed rapidly from calm to chaos.
He said he turned around after hearing shouting and saw the passenger allegedly attacking the man seated beside him.
Mejia and another passenger, Richard Olenick, who were sitting two rows ahead, intervened and helped restrain the individual.
According to witnesses, a flight attendant provided zip ties, which were used to restrain the passenger. Duct tape was subsequently used to further secure him to his seat.
A photograph shared by Olenick showed the passenger with several strips of duct tape wrapped around his wrists and torso.
Witnesses also alleged that the passenger verbally abused a flight attendant, including using a racial slur and making homophobic remarks, before the situation turned physical.
The disturbance forced the aircraft to divert to Baltimore, where law enforcement officers boarded the plane and removed the passenger.
The flight later continued to Newark after the passenger was taken into custody.
American Airlines said the safety and security of its passengers and crew remained its highest priority and stressed that it does not tolerate violence.
The airline also thanked its crew for their professionalism and passengers for their understanding during the disruption.
The FBI confirmed that the passenger was in custody on state charges while federal authorities investigate the incident.
The agency said its investigators were interviewing witnesses and gathering evidence before consulting the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland to determine whether federal charges would be filed.
The suspect’s identity had not been released at the time of the report.
