An Arizona real estate agent faces multiple criminal charges after a violent mid-flight meltdown aboard a New Jersey-bound American Airlines flight. Authorities say the unruly passenger had to be restrained with duct tape by fellow travelers after becoming combative.
Layne A. Lundeen, 67, of Tucson, was tackled and restrained by passengers mid-flight on Thursday night. The aircraft was forced to make an emergency diversion to Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, where police removed him from the plane.
According to records from the Maryland Transportation Authority Police, Lundeen now faces misdemeanor charges of second-degree assault and disorderly conduct.
Richard O’Lenick, a passenger from Sparta, New Jersey, was returning home from a business trip in Nevada when the chaos broke out. He was one of several passengers who stepped in to control the situation.
"I don’t love flying; it’s not one of my favorite things," said O’Lenick, who owns the Gun For Hire firearm range in Woodland Park.
Witnesses reported seeing Lundeen served at least one alcoholic beverage prior to the disturbance. During the flight, Lundeen began making strange statements about Jesus and loudly insisted to nearby passengers that the plane was going to crash.
"I just sort of tried to play it off like, ‘Stop, we’re going to be perfectly fine,’" O’Lenick recalled. "‘As a matter of fact, you’re going to meet a bunch of new friends when we get on the ground,’ referring to the police."
The situation quickly devolved into physical violence when Lundeen allegedly struck a pastor sitting next to him and assaulted a woman who attempted to step in. Witnesses added that Lundeen also hurled a racial slur at a flight crew member.
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Seeing the violence escalate, O’Lenick and his coworker, Juan Mejia, moved quickly to intervene and calm the suspect down.
"We initially stopped the guy from hitting other people," O’Lenick said. "At that point, obviously the flight attendants start walking over."
Flight attendants quickly retrieved yellow zip ties to restrain Lundeen, but his aggression continued. Crew members then asked helpful passengers to assist in binding the man to his seat using duct tape.
Bystanders initially wrapped tape around his body, but they were forced to wrap an additional layer around his head after Lundeen attempted to bite people nearby.
Mejia, a retired Weehawken police officer, stepped up and guided passengers through the proper process to safely bind the suspect.
"They were okay with us doing what we were doing at that moment, and then I think once they understood that he wasn’t settling down, even with us there, that’s when they proceeded to go to the next level of restraint," O’Lenick explained.
Attempts to contact Lundeen for comment were unsuccessful, and court records do not currently list a defense attorney for him.
Lundeen, who has held a real estate license since 1997, was promptly fired from Long Realty Company in Tucson on Saturday following the outburst.
"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," the firm stated in an official release. "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."
The flight was originally en route from Dallas to Newark Liberty International Airport. American Airlines confirmed that law enforcement assisted crew members upon arrival in Maryland.
"The safety and security of our customers and team members is our top priority, and we do not tolerate violence," American Airlines said in a statement.
Roughly 20 minutes after Lundeen was bound to his seat, the aircraft landed at BWI Airport. Police boarded the plane at the gate, took the suspect into custody, and interviewed witnesses while the plane sat on the tarmac for about two hours before continuing to Newark.
"I’m glad I was able to help," O’Lenick added.