A 67-year-old Arizona man accused of launching a violent and allegedly hateful outburst aboard an American Airlines flight has broken his silence, saying he remembers almost nothing about the incident that ended with him being restrained with zip ties and duct tape while another passenger sat on his lap.
Layne Arthur Lundeen was traveling in first class aboard American Airlines Flight 618 from Dallas to Newark on September 3 when, according to passengers and court records, his behavior allegedly changed dramatically about two hours into the flight.
What began as a seemingly ordinary conversation reportedly escalated into shouting, alleged physical violence and a series of offensive remarks, eventually forcing the pilot to divert the aircraft to Baltimore.
Until that point, the passenger seated next to Lundeen said there had been little indication that the flight was about to descend into chaos.
From friendly conversation to an alleged outburst
Jonathan Cahn, an author and Messianic rabbi, was seated beside Lundeen during the flight.Cahn told People that Lundeen, whom he described as an Arizona realtor, had initially been “really friendly.”
The two reportedly spent the first couple of hours talking, with their conversation eventually turning toward religion and Cahn’s books, which explore biblical prophecy.
According to Cahn, that was when Lundeen’s demeanor suddenly changed.
“His face changes, and his expression changes, his voice changes, everything changes,” Cahn recalled.
Cahn alleged that Lundeen then began directing vulgar and antisemitic comments toward him.
“He looks at me like he’s whispering a secret for me to hear. He says, ‘Bulls***,’” Cahn claimed. “He said, ‘Go f*** yourself.’”
As Lundeen allegedly became louder and more aggressive, Cahn said he tried to disengage from the confrontation and focus elsewhere.
But the situation soon escalated beyond words.
“He puts his hands around my neck, like he’s choking me,” Cahn told People.
What had begun as a conversation between two strangers was now, according to witnesses, becoming a physical confrontation inside the first-class cabin.
