Duct tape, zip ties and an emergency landing: Chaos aboard US-bound flight after passenger's mid-air assault

An American Airlines flight bound for Newark from Dallas-Fort Worth was forced to make an unscheduled landing in Baltimore late Thursday night after a passenger turned violent mid-flight, leading fellow travellers and crew members to physically restrain him using duct tape and zip ties, according to a TOI report.

A photograph shared by one of the passengers on board captured the extent of the restraint used on the man, showing multiple loops of tape wound around his wrists, torso and head as he was held down in his seat.

According to witnesses who spoke to CBS News, as cited by TOI, the flight had been in the air for roughly two hours when the situation took a sudden and alarming turn. The passenger allegedly began shouting before lunging at the man seated next to him and grabbing him by the neck, catching those around him off guard.


As the confrontation unfolded, two fellow passengers moved in to intervene. One of them was Juan Mejia, a retired law enforcement officer, whose experience appeared to help in bringing the situation under control. Working alongside a flight attendant, the group used zip ties and duct tape to bind the man to his seat, effectively immobilising him for the remainder of the journey to Baltimore.

The report further noted that the passenger did not stop at physical aggression. Witnesses alleged that when a flight attendant attempted to step in and de-escalate the situation, he directed a racial slur and homophobic remarks at her. His behaviour reportedly grew more volatile from there, turning violent once again and leaving the crew with little choice but to alert the cockpit and request a diversion.

With the safety of everyone on board at stake, the flight crew made the call to reroute the aircraft to Baltimore rather than continue on to its original destination. Upon landing, law enforcement officials were waiting at the gate and removed the restrained passenger from the aircraft. Once he had been taken into custody by authorities on the ground, the flight was cleared to resume its journey, eventually landing in Newark.

(With inputs from TOI)