Airplane passenger taped to seat after wild tirade on board

An international flight has descended into chaos after a passenger was bound with duct tape following an alleged racial and homophobic tirade on board.

American Airlines Flight 618 was en route from Dallas, Texas, to Newark, New Jersey, on Sept. 3 when, about two hours into the flight, a passenger began screaming in the cabin, CBS News reported.

According to other passengers, the 67-year-old man became even more aggressive when he began shouting about Jesus and swearing at the man sitting next to him in first class.

The commotion attracted the attention of the flight attendant, who approached the man, trying to defuse the situation.

But the incident escalated when he allegedly called an African-American flight attendant the N-word and then hurled homophobic slurs at her.

Another passenger, Richard Olenick, sat two rows ahead and jumped into action to help airline staff restrain the increasingly violent man.

The photo, taken and posted by Mr. Olenik on Instagram, shows the passenger strapped to his seat with duct tape wrapped around his torso, arms and head.

Retired police officer Juan Mejia also sat in the same row of seats and later gave CBS News his account of the ordeal.

“Just like a light switch, suddenly silence gave way to screams and chaos,” he said.

“I turned around to look and the poor gentleman who was sitting next to him in the aisle seat put his hands around his neck and kind of attacked him.”

The pilot was forced to divert the flight to Washington International Airport so law enforcement could remove the unruly passenger from the plane.

After landing, he was taken into custody on state charges as the FBI investigates the incident.

“The FBI is currently conducting fact-finding interviews and will consult with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland to determine whether federal charges will be filed,” the statement said, according to CBS News.

American Airlines said the flight was diverted due to a “disruptive customer” before it continued on to Newark.

“The safety and security of our customers and team members is our top priority and we do not tolerate violence,” a spokesperson told the Daily Mail.

“We thank our team members for their professionalism and our customers for their understanding.”