A 67-year-old man from Arizona was arrested after allegedly behaving aggressively during an American Airlines flight, forcing the plane to divert and make an emergency landing in Baltimore.
According to Maryland State Police, Arthur Ludin was arrested after the plane landed at Baltimore/Washington International Airport. During the incident, he was strapped to his seat with duct tape and his hands were chained.
The incident occurred on AA Flight 618, which was en route from Dallas to Newark, according to the FBI and American Airlines. One of the passengers, Juan Mejia, a former law enforcement officer, said the situation became tense about three-quarters of the way into the flight. According to him, the 67-year-old began to insult airline staff and other passengers, using offensive and racist language, as well as offensive comments towards several women in the row behind him.
Mejia and another passenger, Richard Olenick, said they intervened after Ludin became physically aggressive. The plane diverted to Baltimore/Washington International Airport around 10:15 p.m., according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which is also investigating the incident.
The two passengers who intervened said they stood by the 67-year-old until police officers boarded the plane and took him into custody. After Ludin’s arrest, the flight continued normally to Newark, American Airlines announced.
The 67-year-old was charged with disorderly conduct and second-degree assault for the incidents that occurred aboard the plane, according to Maryland Transportation Authority Police.
The investigation into the in-flight incident continues by the FBI.