A man on an American Airlines flight was duct-taped to his seat like a mummy after allegedly hitting passengers and shouting slurs

An unruly passenger was duct-taped to his seat on an American Airlines flight after he allegedly attacked fellow travelers and shouted racial and anti-gay slurs. The situation became so volatile that the flight, which was reportedly traveling from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport to Newark Liberty International Airport, had to be diverted to Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. 

As reported by TMZ, the incident reportedly began when the man, who appeared to be drunk, started yelling at a male passenger sitting next to him. Witnesses say the man was screaming about Jesus and going to hell, which forced a Black flight attendant to step in to try and de-escalate the situation. 

The man allegedly responded by calling the flight attendant the n-word and hurling anti-gay remarks, including the f-word. Things escalated further when the man reportedly hit the passenger next to him and struck that person’s computer. A female passenger tried to intervene, but the man pushed her, causing three other male passengers to step in to help.

Passengers held him down

The crew eventually handed duct tape and zip ties to the three male passengers to help restrain the individual. Photos and video from the flight obtained by TMZ show the man looking like a mummy wrapped in duct tape, secured to his seat with tape covering his head and hands. Even while restrained, the man reportedly tried to fight his way out of the bindings as the passengers held him down.

The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that the plane was diverted and landed at the Baltimore facility about 15 minutes after the situation reached a breaking point. Law enforcement officers met the aircraft at the gate and took the man into custody immediately upon arrival.

A spokesperson for American Airlines provided a statement regarding the disruption. American Airlines confirmed flight 618 diverted to Baltimore on Sept. 3 due to a disruptive customer and that law enforcement met the plane to assist with deplaning. A spokesperson said the airline “does not tolerate violence” and thanked crew members for their professionalism.