From racist outburst to duct tape: How a mid-air meltdown cost an Arizona realtor his job

At 35,000 feet, there aren't many places to go when an argument gets out of control.

There is no exit door. No quiet corner. No “I'll deal with this later”.

So when a passenger on an American Airlines flight allegedly went from shouting slurs to physical aggression, the people around him had to deal with the problem right there — somewhere over the United States.

The bizarre images that followed looked almost unreal: a 67-year-old man strapped to an aircraft seat with duct tape, his hands secured with zip ties, while a flight that was supposed to reach Newark was diverted to Baltimore.

The passenger was identified as Arthur Layne Lundeen, a Tucson, Arizona, man who had been affiliated with real-estate company Long Realty.

What began as an unruly passenger incident eventually became a police case — and then a professional crisis.

What happened on American Airlines Flight 618?

American Airlines Flight 618 was travelling from Dallas-Fort Worth to Newark on September 3 when the situation began to escalate.

According to passenger accounts reported by ABC News and other outlets, Lundeen became increasingly belligerent roughly three-quarters of the way through the flight. He allegedly directed racial and homophobic slurs at people around him, including a flight attendant who tried to intervene.

The confrontation then allegedly became physical.

Lundeen was accused of striking the passenger seated next to him and damaging the passenger's computer. A woman who attempted to intervene was also allegedly pushed.

At that point, this was no longer simply a passenger being loud.

It had become a safety problem inside a sealed aircraft.

How did passengers stop the mid-air confrontation?

This is where two passengers stepped into the story.

Juan Mejia, a former law-enforcement officer, and Richard O'Lenick, a New Jersey businessman, helped crew members restrain Lundeen.

Mejia later told ABC News that he was sitting nearby when the disturbance began. The situation escalated enough for passengers to intervene physically.

According to reports, Lundeen resisted the effort to restrain him. The passengers and crew eventually used zip ties on his hands and duct tape to secure him to his seat.

The images were extraordinary.

A commercial-airline seat. Silver tape. A passenger immobilised in the middle of a flight.

But there was still a bigger problem.

The aircraft was nowhere near its destination.

Why was the American Airlines flight diverted to Baltimore?

The plane was supposed to continue from Dallas-Fort Worth to Newark.

Instead, American Airlines Flight 618 was diverted to Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport because of what the airline described as a “disruptive customer”.

Once the aircraft landed, Maryland Transportation Authority Police boarded the plane and took Lundeen into custody.

The other passengers could then continue their journey to Newark.

American Airlines said the safety and security of its customers and team members was its top priority and that it did not tolerate violence.

In other words, the flight eventually resumed.

Lundeen's journey did not.

What charges does Arthur Lundeen face?

Lundeen was arrested after landing and charged in Maryland with second-degree assault and disorderly conduct, according to court records cited by Hindustan Times and Times of India.

He was released on bond on September 4 and is scheduled to appear in court again on October 19, according to the Maryland Judiciary records cited by Hindustan Times.

The case may not stop at state charges.

The FBI is investigating the incident, conducting interviews and consulting with the US Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland to determine whether federal charges will be filed. The FAA is also investigating, according to Hindustan Times.

That means the duct-tape photograph may have been the most visible part of the story.

The legal consequences could still grow.

Who is Arthur Lundeen?

Lundeen is a 67-year-old Tucson resident who had worked in Arizona real estate.

His LinkedIn profile had identified him as a vice president at Long Realty, a Tucson-based real-estate company. Following the flight incident, that profile was removed and the company confirmed that he was no longer affiliated with it.

Long Realty said it had promptly ended its affiliation with Lundeen after learning about the criminal charges.

The company added that the conduct described in reports was inconsistent with the professionalism, integrity, compassion and respect it expected from people associated with the firm.

So the fallout didn't end when the plane landed.

It followed him home.

How did a flight outburst turn into a career crisis?

There is a striking speed to what happened.

September 3: The alleged outburst happens aboard Flight 618.

Minutes later: Passengers and crew restrain Lundeen.

After landing: Police arrest him in Baltimore.

September 4: He is released on bond.

Within days: Long Realty ends its affiliation with him.

The incident also went viral after photographs showing Lundeen restrained to his seat circulated online. Hindustan Times reported that the images spread widely across social media.

One flight.

A few hours.

And a very public aftermath.

What does the incident say about unruly passengers?

Airlines have dealt with disruptive passengers for decades. But there is a peculiar intensity to these incidents because of the environment.

On the ground, you can walk away.

At 35,000 feet, everyone is stuck together.

A verbal confrontation can therefore become an aviation-safety issue remarkably quickly.

In this case, the crew and passengers intervened, the aircraft diverted and law enforcement took over once it landed.

But the episode also carries another lesson.

A bad moment on a plane doesn't necessarily end when the wheels touch the runway.

For Lundeen, the alleged outburst now exists in court records, police investigations, viral photographs and a professional separation from the company with which he was affiliated.

The flight was headed to Newark.

It ended in Baltimore.

And the consequences for one passenger travelled considerably farther.

(With inputs from yMedia and agencies)