Archive · 7 Sep 2026
Passenger Arrested After Racist Slurs Disrupt American Airlines Flight
A passenger named Arthur Lundeen was accused of causing a serious disturbance on an airplane.
The flight was traveling from Texas to New Jersey.
Passengers and crew said he shouted offensive words, including racial and anti-LGBTQ slurs.
He was also accused of hitting a nearby passenger and pushing a woman who tried to help.
People on the plane used zip ties and duct tape to keep him from hurting anyone.
The pilot changed the flight’s route and landed in Baltimore.
Police arrested Lundeen after the plane landed.
He now faces two misdemeanor charges and was released on bond.
Arthur Layne Lundeen, a 67-year-old Tucson resident, was identified as the passenger restrained during the flight.
American Airlines Flight 618 was diverted from its Dallas-to-Newark route to Baltimore after a reported disturbance.
Passengers and crew accused Lundeen of shouting profanities, racial and anti-LGBTQ slurs, and striking another passenger.
Lundeen was restrained with zip ties and duct tape before police took him into custody after landing.
He faces misdemeanor charges of second-degree assault and disorderly conduct and was released on bond September 4.
- Who
- Arthur Layne Lundeen, a 67-year-old resident of Tucson, Arizona, was arrested after the incident.
- What
- He was accused of shouting profanities and slurs, becoming physically aggressive, and damaging another passenger’s computer; the flight was diverted and he was restrained.
- When
- The incident occurred on September 3, reportedly about two hours after takeoff; Lundeen was released on bond on September 4.
- Where
- American Airlines Flight 618 was traveling from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport to Newark Liberty International Airport before diverting to Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport.
- Why
- The pilot diverted the flight because of the reported disturbance and escalating confrontation involving Lundeen.
- Passenger
- Arthur Layne Lundeen
- Age
- 67, according to the report and court-record information
- Flight
- American Airlines Flight 618
- Original route
- Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, to Newark, New Jersey
- Diversion airport
- Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport
- Charges
- Second-degree assault and disorderly conduct
- Release status
- Released on bond on September 4