Unruly aircraft passenger duct-taped on diverted AA flight

An unruly aircraft passenger was zip-tied and duct-taped to a first-class seat Thursday after assaulting others midflight, forcing American Airlines Flight 618 from Dallas to Newark into an emergency diversion to Baltimore. Fellow travelers restrained him until Maryland police boarded at BWI and made an arrest on state charges.

Key Takeaways

• American Airlines Flight 618 diverted to BWI after a first-class passenger turned violent midflight.
• Passengers used zip ties and duct tape from a flight attendant to restrain the man until landing.
• Maryland Transportation Authority Police arrested him on state charges; the flight later continued to Newark.
• The FAA reports more than 1,160 unruly passenger incidents so far in 2026.

What happened on American Airlines Flight 618?

According to CNN, the disturbance unfolded on Sept. 3 as Flight 618 flew from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport toward Newark. Witnesses Richard Olenick and Juan Mejia, a retired New Jersey police officer, said a man two rows behind them in first class suddenly grew belligerent.

A flight attendant tried to regain control, but the passenger became more agitated. Olenick said the man hit the traveler beside him, then struck a woman who tried to intervene. Both Olenick and Mejia said he also used racial and homophobic slurs.

How did passengers restrain the unruly aircraft passenger?

Mejia rose first; Olenick and a third passenger joined. A flight attendant gave them a zip tie for the man's wrists. When he bit Mejia and tried to bite Olenick, the group used duct tape from the crew to bind him to the seat—leaving his mouth uncovered so he could breathe, Olenick said.

For about 15 minutes before landing, Olenick sat on the restrained passenger's lap to keep him down. "Physically it lessened his ability to move for sure, but it did not solve the issue," Olenick told CNN. Mejia told CBS News New York the man left teeth marks on his hand and was bleeding from self-inflicted cuts. Witnesses said they saw nothing unusual beforehand and did not know what triggered the outburst, though Mejia recalled a flight attendant saying the man had been served only one drink.

CBS News travel experts said zip ties and duct tape are standard protocol when a disruptive flyer presents a midair threat that cannot otherwise be controlled.

Why was the flight diverted to Baltimore?

The FAA said the crew reported a passenger disturbance, and the pilot diverted to Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. An FBI statement said Maryland Transportation Authority Police met the aircraft and arrested one man on state charges; officials did not name him. After removal, the flight continued to Newark.

American Airlines said safety is its top priority and it does not tolerate violence, thanking crew and customers. The FAA can seek fines of more than $43,000 for assaulting or interfering with crew, and more than 1,160 unruly incidents have been reported so far this year.

Stories like this sit alongside broader aviation safety coverage in our Future Tech & AI Wonders hub, where transport disruption and passenger-security responses remain closely watched.