American Airlines flight 618 diverts to Baltimore after passengers duct-tape violent traveller

Outbreak of in-flight hostility

American Airlines Flight 618 was approximately two hours into its scheduled domestic service from Dallas to Newark on Thursday, 3 September, when an unruly traveller caused a severe disturbance in the cabin. Witnesses on board reported that the man appeared intoxicated, though a flight attendant later recalled serving him only a single alcoholic beverage. The individual began preaching about Jesus before shouting homophobic insults directly at his seat neighbour. When an African-origin flight attendant intervened to de-escalate the dispute, the passenger directed racial slurs, including the N-word, at the crew member.

It was like a light switch: suddenly it went from silence to screaming and chaos.

Physical confrontation and restraint

The passenger escalated the altercation into violence by attacking his aisle seatmate, striking the man repeatedly, damaging his laptop computer, and placing both hands around his neck in an attempt to strangle him. When a female passenger stepped forward to assist, the suspect shoved her backwards. Juan Mejia, a former law enforcement officer seated two rows away, rushed to the scene alongside fellow passenger Richard Olenick and two other travellers. Working in coordination with cabin crew, four passengers physically subdued the assailant using cable ties and duct tape provided by the flight attendants. The suspect resisted violently throughout the struggle, biting Mejia on the hand and sustaining self-inflicted cuts that left blood on those restraining him.

He bit my hand, it just left teeth marks. We were covered in his blood. He was bleeding heavily from cuts that he had inflicted on himself.

Emergency diversion to Baltimore

Cabin crew and assisting passengers bound the suspect securely to an aircraft seat with layers of heavy adhesive tape wrapping around his wrists, torso, and head. The man remained restrained in his seat for roughly 15 minutes while the flight crew initiated an immediate diversion. The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that the pilots altered course and landed at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport in Maryland to allow law enforcement to intervene.

Police custody and federal review

Officers from the Maryland Transportation Police and agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation met the aircraft at the gate upon landing and escorted the suspect from the cabin. Maryland authorities arrested the man to face state-level charges, while FBI investigators began gathering evidence in coordination with the local US Attorney's Office to determine whether to file federal aviation charges. Following the passenger's removal, Flight 618 was cleared to resume its flight to Newark.

The safety of our customers and our team members is our highest priority, and we do not tolerate violence.