Passengers restrained him with duct tape and zip ties before authorities arrested him.
What began as a routine domestic commercial flight turned into a mid-air crisis when a first-class passenger erupted into a violent tirade, forcing an emergency diversion and an arrest on the tarmac. Layne Arthur Lundeen, 67, of Tucson, Arizona, found himself subdued with silver tape and zip ties by fellow travelers before law enforcement boarded the aircraft at Baltimore/Washington Thurgood Marshall Airport.
American Airlines Flight 618 was traveling from Dallas, Texas, to Newark, New Jersey, when the confrontation erupted in the aircraft’s first-class cabin. Initially, Lundeen had been speaking amicably with the passenger seated directly beside him in the window seat: Jonathan Cahn, a Messianic rabbi and author from New Jersey who leads the Beth Israel Worship Center in Wayne, New Jersey.
According to Cahn, the two men conversed without issue for about two hours before the atmosphere shifted abruptly during a conversation about religion. Cahn recounted that Lundeen began spewing profanities and blasphemy, describing the sudden change as if something had taken him over. Witnesses reported that Lundeen grew increasingly aggressive, shouting racial and homophobic slurs at cabin crew members and nearby passengers.
The situation turned physical when Lundeen struck Cahn’s laptop and grabbed the author by the throat while shouting threats. Realizing the danger to travelers, passengers intervened to protect the cabin. Richard Olenick, a New Jersey shooting range owner, and Juan Mejia, a retired law enforcement officer who works as a sales manager at Olenick’s company, rushed forward from a couple of rows ahead to stop the assault.
Subduing the passenger required a coordinated effort from multiple individuals aboard the aircraft. A flight attendant provided zip ties, which passengers used to secure Lundeen’s wrists after he became physical. During the struggle, Lundeen allegedly bit Mejia and attempted to bite Olenick as well before flight crew members supplied silver duct tape.
Juan Mejia noted that while physical restraint limited Lundeen’s mobility, he continued pushing, resisting, and trying to stand up throughout the ordeal. Recognizing the severity of the in-flight dispute, the pilot declared an emergency and diverted the aircraft to Maryland.
When the plane landed at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, Maryland Transportation Authority Police boarded the cabin and took Lundeen into custody. Authorities charged him with second-degree assault and disorderly conduct following the incident.
During his initial court appearance on September 4 before District Court Commissioner George Haag at the Jennifer Road Detention Centre in Annapolis, Maryland, Lundeen expressed profound confusion about his whereabouts and legal standing according to audio reviewed by the press. He stated that he had consumed two screwdriver cocktails prior to boarding and claimed absolute memory loss regarding the flight.
When Haag read the formal accusations to him, Lundeen voiced shock at the scope of the charges and the location of his detention.
“I assaulted a police officer? Is that what it says? I don’t have my glasses… Oh my God. What a mess … I don’t remember any of it.”
Layne Lundeen, Defendant, via The Baltimore Banner
When the magistrate asked what brought him to Maryland, Lundeen replied that he intended to travel to New York City to help his daughter move into a new apartment for her birthday, adding that he had no idea how he ended up in Maryland when he was supposed to land in New Jersey.
The fallout from the mid-flight emergency extended quickly to Lundeen’s professional life. Prior to the arrest, Lundeen worked as a managing partner and real estate agent for Long Realty in Tucson, Arizona. Upon learning of the criminal charges stemming from the commercial flight, the company promptly severed ties with him.
“The conduct described in the reports is wholly inconsistent with the professionalism, integrity, compassion, and respect for others that Long Realty expects from those affiliated with the company. We expect those associated with our company to uphold those values, and we have no tolerance for conduct that so clearly falls short of those expectations.”
Long Realty, Corporate Statement via Facebook
American Airlines issued a brief statement praising the actions of its crew members while reaffirming a zero-tolerance policy toward violence. Meanwhile, passengers involved in the restraint expressed hope for calmer travels ahead, with Cahn noting plans to fly again by the end of the month.
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