Layne Lundeen told a court the day after his arrest that he did not remember the incident that led to him being duct-taped to his seat on American Airlines Flight 618. The flight, which was traveling from Dallas, Texas, to Newark, New Jersey, had already been diverted in an emergency to Baltimore/Washington Thurgood Marshall airport.
After landing on 3 September, authorities arrested Lundeen and charged him with second-degree assault and disorderly conduct. He was 67 years old, and his answer in court turned on memory, not denial: “I don’t remember any of what happened.”
Flight 618 and the landing
Flight 618 was restrained with duct tape and zip ties while it was still in the air, then diverted for an emergency landing. That sequence left passengers and crew on a flight that had started in Dallas and was meant for Newark facing an abrupt stop in Baltimore.
Richard Olenick said Lundeen’s movements were not fully stopped by the restraints. “Physically it lessened his ability to move for sure, but it did not solve the issue. He was still pushing and resisting and trying to get up,” Olenick said.
American Airlines said in a statement that safety and security were its top priority and that it does not tolerate violence. In a separate statement, Long Realty said it had “ended its affiliation” with Lundeen after learning of the incident.
What passengers reported
Juan Mejia said Lundeen had allegedly directed derogatory remarks at American Airlines staff and other passengers. Mejia described the comments as “racial slurs, vulgar language, very offensive to the women.” Another passenger account added the allegation that Lundeen tried to hit the passenger next to him and a woman who stepped in.
When Lundeen was read the charges, he asked, “I assaulted a police officer? Is that what it says? I don’t have my glasses.” He then added, “Oh my god, what a mess … I don’t remember any of it.”
The case now sits with those charges and that gap in Lundeen’s account. The flight has already landed, the arrest has already happened, and the remaining question is what caused the outburst that forced the emergency diversion.
