Washington: Chaos broke out on an American Airlines flight from Dallas-Fort Worth to Newark after a passenger became violent and attacked a fellow passenger during the journey. The matter escalated when he reportedly shouted at passengers and crew, made racist and anti-gay remarks, and became physically aggressive. The situation forced the flight to divert to Baltimore.
Passenger Turns Violent Mid-Flight
An American Airlines Flight 618 was travelling from Dallas-Fort Worth to Newark late Thursday, when the incident occurred around two hours after takeoff. According to news outlet TMZ, citing eyeswitnesses accounts, the passenger, who appeared to be intoxicated, suddenly began shouting about religion, Jesus and hell. He then grabbed the neck of the passenger sitting next to him and attacked him.
The confrontation became serious when the passenger reportedly hit the fellow traveller and damaged his computer. A flight attendant stepped in and tried to calm the passenger down. However, instead of cooperating, he became abusive towards the crew member as well. He reportedly used a racial slur against a Black flight attendant and also made anti-gay remarks.
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Passengers Step In To Restrain Him
As he became more violent, three passengers, along with crew members, restrained him using zip ties and duct tape provided by the flight attendants. A photo shared by a passenger on X showed the man sitting in his seat with several layers of duct tape around his wrists, torso and head. A video has also emerged, showing crew members working together to hold the man down.
Flight Diverted To Baltimore
The flight was diverted to Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport in Maryland, where law enforcement officers took the passenger into custody. American Airlines confirmed that the flight was diverted because of what it described as a “disruptive customer.” Meanwhile, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that the incident is under investigation.
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