Updated
Updated · FOX 10 News Phoenix · Sep 5
Arizona Realtor, 67, Fired After Midair Attack Forces American Flight to Divert
Updated
Updated · FOX 10 News Phoenix · Sep 5

Arizona Realtor, 67, Fired After Midair Attack Forces American Flight to Divert

3 articles · Updated · FOX 10 News Phoenix · Sep 5

Summary

  • Long Realty fired 67-year-old Layne Arthur Lundeen after authorities said his Sept. 3 outburst on an American Airlines flight from Dallas-Fort Worth to Newark turned violent and ended with him restrained in duct tape and zip ties.
  • Passenger accounts say Lundeen shouted racist, misogynist and homophobic slurs, grabbed a seatmate by the neck, struck a woman who intervened, and bit rescuers before other passengers and crew pinned him down.
  • Baltimore became the emergency landing point after the midair struggle, where Maryland Transportation Authority Police arrested Lundeen on state charges including disorderly conduct and second-degree assault.
  • American praised the crew and passengers for stopping the attack, while the FBI is interviewing witnesses to decide whether to add federal charges.

Insights

With over 1,160 unruly passenger incidents reported this year, are airlines failing to properly screen travelers for potential midair violence?
How will authorities address the legal liabilities of passengers who use extreme measures like duct tape to restrain violent flyers?
Could this violent midair outburst have been a severe mental health crisis rather than intentional malice, and how should crews respond?