American Airlines flight diverts after passenger outburst

An American Airlines flight bound for Newark was diverted to Baltimore late Thursday after passengers and crew restrained a disruptive man with zip ties and duct tape during a midair outburst, the airline and federal authorities said.

The flight had departed Dallas-Fort Worth for Newark, New Jersey, when the disturbance broke out about two hours into the trip, witnesses told CBS News New York. After the plane landed in Baltimore, law enforcement removed the passenger and took him into custody. Authorities have not released his name.

Juan Mejia, a retired law enforcement officer, and Richard Olenick, who were seated two rows in front of the man, said the cabin shifted abruptly from calm to disorder.

“Just like a light switch, all of a sudden, it went from quiet to yelling and chaos,” Mejia said. “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 Olenick said they moved in to help restrain the passenger. They used zip ties provided by a flight attendant and wrapped him with duct tape. A photo shared by Olenick showed the man strapped into his seat with multiple loops of tape around his wrists, torso and head, CBS News reported.

Another witness, Michelle Ng-Reyes, told NBC New York the passenger was “thrashing around” as flight crew and other passengers tried to hold him at the rear of the first-class cabin.

“I think he hurt himself and was bleeding on the seat and apparently was assaulting the man sitting next to him, who was another man dressed in a suit,” Ng-Reyes said. “The three men that were holding him down were saying things like, ‘Stop moving, please stop yelling, just sit down.’”

Witnesses said the man made racially offensive remarks and directed abuse at crew members. Mejia and Olenick told CBS News that a flight attendant had tried to calm the situation before the passenger allegedly called her a racial slur and made homophobic comments. Ng-Reyes told NBC New York that passengers heard him direct racially offensive remarks at the man seated next to him and that he appeared to target Black flight attendants.

“They had to physically restrain him ’cause they were worried he might try to go into the cockpit or something, which is obviously pretty scary,” Ng-Reyes said.

TMZ first reported the story and obtained video showing the effort to restrain the passenger, according to CBS News and NBC News.

The FBI’s Baltimore field office said the passenger was arrested by the Maryland Transportation Authority Police. In a statement to CBS News, the FBI said the man was in custody on state charges, while agents continue to investigate.

“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 FBI said. A spokesperson for the U.S. attorney’s office declined to comment, NBC News reported.

After the passenger was removed in Baltimore, the flight continued to Newark. Ng-Reyes said the flight had been scheduled to land about 3 1/2 hours after takeoff, but the diversion and delay stretched the trip to roughly eight hours.

“The safety and security of our customers and team members is our top priority and we do not tolerate violence,” American Airlines said in a statement. “We thank our team members for their professionalism and our customers for their understanding.”