American Airlines passenger taped to his seat after mid-air crash has lost his job

A man who allegedly became so unruly on a commercial flight that he had to be taped to his seat has been fired from his real estate company.

Arthur Lane Lundeen, 67, of Arizona, was flying first class from Texas to New Jersey on an American Airlines flight last Thursday when the incident occurred. According to Juan Medjia, a passenger on the flight who spoke to CBS News, Lundin allegedly became drunk and began cursing at the passenger next to him.

Mejia said at some point Lundin began attacking his neighbor.

“Just like a light switch, suddenly the silence gave way to screams and chaos,” Mejia told CBS News. “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.”

When the flight crew tried to intervene, Lundin reportedly called it a racial slur and refused to follow their commands.

Mejia said he and another passenger, Richard Olenick, helped the flight crew restrain Lundin.

“[Lundeen] bit me on the hand. It didn’t damage my skin, it just left teeth marks on my arm. We were covered in his blood,” Mejia told the broadcaster. “He was bleeding heavily from the cuts he had inflicted on himself.”

The flight attendant told Mejia that they only served Lundin one drink. Due to the chaos in first class, the plane was diverted from its original destination and instead landed in Baltimore, Maryland.

An Arizona realtor had his hands zip-tied and taped to his plane seat for the last 15 minutes of the flight.

Lundeen was arrested upon arrival in Baltimore by Maryland Transportation Authority police and charged with disorderly conduct and second-degree assault.

The FBI has taken over the investigation, and it is unclear whether Lundeen will face any additional federal charges. The bureau reported this. Newsweek in a statement saying they were “conducting fact-finding interviews and will consult with the District of Maryland District Attorney’s Office to determine whether federal charges will be filed.”

Attempts to reach Lundin for comment were unsuccessful.

Long Realty, which worked with Lundin, said it was cutting ties with him. Independent requested comment from Long Realty. The company told Newsweek that she “immediately terminated her partnership” with Lundin as soon as she learned of the incident.

Lundeen waived his right to an attorney during his first court appearance on Sept. 4, according to court documents.

“While real estate agents are independent contractors, the proper conduct of everyone associated with Long Realty is of the utmost importance to us. As a result, this individual is no longer associated with Long Realty,” said company CEO Kevin Kaplan. Arizona Republic in an email.

American Airlines released a statement acknowledging the incident. “On September 3, American Airlines Flight 618 was diverted to Baltimore (BWI) due to a disruptive customer. Upon arrival, law enforcement officers met the aircraft and assisted in disembarking the customer before the flight continued to its destination,” the airline said in a statement.

“The safety and security of our customers and team members is our top priority and we do not tolerate violence. We thank our team members for their professionalism and our customers for their understanding.”