An American Airlines passenger was physically restrained and strapped to his seat with duct tape after chaos broke out on board a flight from Dallas, Texas, to Newark, New Jersey. The traveller, who appeared to be under the influence, began screaming at the passenger seated next to him, with witnesses claiming the situation quickly turned violent.
Alleged assault and abuse on board
Witnesses said the man allegedly attacked a fellow passenger, destroyed his laptop, and hurled racial and homophobic abuse. The situation reportedly deteriorated further when he allegedly shoved a female passenger and attempted to bite two others.
Juan Mejia, a retired police officer travelling on the flight, described the sudden escalation: "Just like a light switch, all of a sudden, it went from quiet to yelling and chaos."
Passengers intervene and restrain
Mejia added: "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." Mejia and a fellow passenger intervened to subdue the disruptive traveller. Cabin crew provided duct tape, which was used to bind his wrists and secure his head and torso firmly to his seat.
Flight diverted and arrest
The plane was diverted to Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, touching down approximately 15 minutes later. Local police arrested the passenger upon landing, while the FBI is reportedly considering federal charges, according to TMZ. American Airlines confirmed the flight had been diverted owing to a "disruptive customer". Once the passenger had been removed, the aircraft continued on its way to Newark.
A spokesperson from American Airlines stated: "The safety and security of our customers and team members is our top priority, and we do not tolerate violence." They further added: "We thank our team members for their professionalism and our customers for their understanding."
