Aggressive passenger duct-taped to airplane seat after flight diverts to Baltimore

The passenger kept fighting even after fellow travelers bound his wrists and secured him to his first-class seat with duct tape. The American Airlines flight had to divert to Baltimore after the man allegedly became violent midway through the journey from Dallas-Fort Worth to Newark.

Richard Olenik told media, as reported by CNN, that the passenger first became aggressive in first class. The crew reported the incident to the Federal Aviation Administration. A flight attendant tried to calm him, but he allegedly struck the passenger sitting next to him and then hit a woman who tried to intervene.

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He started becoming violent and swearing.

When the situation turned physical, passenger Juan Mejia, a retired New Jersey police officer, stood up. Olenik followed him. Olenik said the man was swearing and had become violent. Both men said he also used racist and homophobic insults.

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He used racist and homophobic insults.

A flight attendant gave Olenik, Mejia and another person a plastic tie. They restrained the man's wrists, but he allegedly bit Mejia and tried to bite Olenik. The three then used duct tape supplied by the attendant to limit his movement. On Mejia's advice, they avoided covering the man's mouth so he could breathe.

Olenik said he sat on the restrained passenger's lap for about 15 minutes until the plane made its emergency landing in Maryland. When he briefly tried to return to his own seat, he had to come back after the man started causing trouble again. Maryland Transportation Authority police arrested the passenger after the aircraft landed safely at Baltimore/Washington Thurgood Marshall International Airport, according to the FBI. Officials did not release his identity. The flight continued to Newark after he was removed.

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Safety and security of our passengers and team members is our highest priority and we do not tolerate violence.