Indictment revealed for man duct-taped to seat in plane that got diverted to Maryland's BWI

An indictment has been announced against a 67-year-old man who was duct-taped to his seat on an American Airlines flight after allegedly becoming disruptive and assaulting a passenger, and interfering with flight crew operations.

The incident occurred on a flight traveling from Dallas, Texas to Newark, New Jersey, with the emergency landing taking place at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI).

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland, the charges include interfering with flight crew members and assaulting a passenger. The court document notes physical contact with a flight crew member and disruptive, abusive behavior directed at crew and other passengers.

Witnesses on the flight described a scuffle with a neighboring passenger that contributed to the decision to divert to BWI, and reported that the individual’s actions included shouting profanities and racial slurs and becoming physically abusive.

The man, identified as Layne Lundeen of Tucson, Arizona, was arrested in September and initially charged with second-degree assault and disorderly conduct. The indictment could carry a potential sentence of up to 20 years for interference with flight crews and up to one year for assault.

At the time, the defendant stated he had two screwdriver drinks and did not recall the incident, while a company statement indicated the related real estate firm terminated its affiliation with the individual after the event.