Who is Arthur Lundeen? Arizona man duct-taped to seat on American Airlines flight after alleged racist outburst

A viral image of a man duct-taped to his seat on an American Airlines flight has identified him as 67-year-old Arizona resident Arthur Lundeen. Police arrested him after Flight 618 diverted to Baltimore when he allegedly became violent, shouted racist and anti-LGBTQ slurs, and attacked people aboard.

The flight was traveling from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport in Texas to Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey when the disturbance began. Investigators and passengers said the situation escalated about two hours into the flight. Lundeen allegedly shouted profanities and racial and homophobic slurs, including an offensive racial slur directed at a Black flight attendant who tried to intervene.

He was also accused of striking the passenger beside him and damaging that passenger’s computer. A woman who tried to help was allegedly pushed. Crew members and passengers then restrained Lundeen’s hands with zip ties and used duct tape to secure him to his seat.

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That’s crazy. I’ve never seen something like that. I would be scared if that person was on my flight.

The aircraft diverted to Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. Police boarded after landing and arrested Lundeen. Maryland court records cited in reports identify him as being from Tucson, Arizona. He faces charges in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, of second-degree assault and disorderly conduct.

Passengers at the airport said the images shocked them. “That’s crazy. I’ve never seen something like that. I would be scared if that person was on my flight,” passenger Kaunain Hashmi said. Jeff Vogel said he had heard of unruly passengers being restrained but had never experienced anything similar. American Airlines said customer and team-member safety was its top priority and that it does not tolerate violence. Reports said Lundeen was released on bond on September 4 and is scheduled to return to court on October 19.

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Most of the flights I’ve been on have been pretty calm. But I’ve heard of flights where people are quite unruly and they have had to restrain people with zip ties and tape and all sorts of things.