BALTIMORE, United States — An American Airlines flight from Dallas to Newark was diverted here on Thursday, September 3, 2026.
Witnesses said a passenger in the first-class cabin had become violent.
Other travellers secured the man with flexible handcuffs and duct tape until the aircraft landed safely at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport.
Maryland Transportation Authority Police officers boarded the aircraft and arrested the man on state charges, according to the FBI.
American Airlines said Flight 618 continued to Newark after he was removed.
Juan Mejia, a retired New Jersey police officer, and Richard Olenick were seated two rows ahead of the passenger when the disturbance began more than halfway through the journey.
Olenick said the man began swearing and directing racial and homophobic slurs at people aboard the flight.
A flight attendant tried to calm him, but he struck the passenger beside him and then hit a woman who attempted to intervene, Olenick said.
When the confrontation became physical, Mejia stood up and Olenick followed. A third passenger joined them.
A flight attendant supplied a flexible plastic restraint, which the group used to secure the man’s wrists. The passenger told them to “Get off me.”
Both witnesses said the man then bit Mejia and tried to bite Olenick.
The passengers responded by using duct tape provided by a flight attendant to restrict his movement. Acting on Mejia’s advice, they did not cover the man’s mouth.
“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.
Olenick said he held the passenger down by sitting on his lap for about 15 minutes as the aircraft approached Baltimore.
He briefly returned to his own seat but intervened again when the man resumed resisting.
“We don’t know exactly what happened, what triggered it,” Olenick said. “But whatever it was, it was pretty intense.”
American Airlines said the safety of its passengers and employees was its highest priority.
“The safety and security of our customers and team members is our top priority and we do not tolerate violence,” the airline said. “We thank our team members for their professionalism and our customers for their understanding.”
The Federal Aviation Administration said the flight crew reported the passenger disturbance. More than 1,160 unruly-passenger incidents have been reported to the agency this year.
The FAA says it can pursue fines of more than $43,000 for each violation involving an unruly passenger.
Criminal penalties may also apply.
