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🇦🇷 Argentina /Conflict & Security

Drunk passenger attacks American Airlines crew and is restrained with zip ties and tape

From La Nación · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • A 67-year-old passenger became verbally and physically aggressive on American Airlines flight AA618 from Fort Worth to Newark.
  • Passengers restrained him with zip ties and industrial tape after he allegedly assaulted travelers, made racist and homophobic insults, and bit one man.
  • The aircraft diverted to Baltimore, where Maryland transportation police and FBI agents took custody of the passenger before the flight continued to Newark.

A passenger on an American Airlines flight from Texas to New Jersey ended up bound to his seat with zip ties and industrial tape after an outburst that forced the aircraft to divert.

From one second to the next, he grabbed the passenger sitting beside him by the neck.

· WitnessesWitnesses described how the passenger’s behavior escalated during the flight.

About two hours after flight AA618 left Fort Worth, the 67-year-old man from Arizona began acting strangely. Witnesses quoted by CBS News said he suddenly grabbed the passenger beside him by the neck and began shouting insults. The man was traveling in first class and became increasingly aggressive as people around him tried to calm him.

He recited phrases about Jesus, told people on board they would go to hell, and directed racist and homophobic abuse at passengers and flight attendants. Richard Olenick, who was seated nearby, said the passenger called one flight attendant a racist insult. Olenick later helped restrain him and posted a photograph showing tape around the man’s wrists, torso, and head.

He called one of the flight attendants a racist insult.

· Richard OlenickOlenick described the abuse directed at a flight attendant and said he helped restrain the passenger.

Juan Mejia, a retired police officer who was also in first class, said, “Everyone in first class was basically a victim of the hate speech, discrimination, hostility and vulgarity coming from his mouth.” Mejia said the passenger bit his hand, leaving tooth marks, and that people were covered in the man’s blood.

Everyone in first class was basically a victim of the hate speech, discrimination, hostility and vulgarity coming from his mouth.

· Juan MejiaThe retired police officer described the passenger’s conduct toward people in first class.

A crew member provided the tape and restraints. The passenger remained immobilized for about 15 more minutes after the plane diverted to Baltimore. Maryland transportation police and FBI agents took him into custody after landing. Police arrested him on state charges, although his identity was not released, and the flight later continued to Newark.

He bit my hand. He did not break the skin, he only left tooth marks. We were covered in his blood.

· Juan MejiaMejia described the struggle to restrain the passenger.
About this summary

Originally published by La Nación in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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