Arizona realtor duct-taped to first-class seat says 'Oh my God, what a mess — I don't remember any of it'

From the Newshound archive · first published 19 September 2026.

Layne Lundeen, 67, lost his job after being bound to his American Airlines seat with duct tape and zip ties mid-flight on September 3, after allegedly hurling racial and homophobic slurs at crew and choking his seatmate. The Dallas-to-Newark flight was diverted to Baltimore, where Lundeen was arrested and charged with second-degree assault and disorderly conduct. Lundeen told District Court Commissioner George Haag he had drunk two screwdriver cocktails and blacked out the entire incident. His trial is scheduled for October 19.

Lundeen's seatmate, Messianic rabbi Jonathan Cahn, said he 'never seen someone change in a split second from light to dark, as if something had taken him over.'

Lundeen told the judge he had been flying to help his daughter move into a new apartment and celebrate her birthday — calling the arrest a 'triple whammy.'

Police found him with his upper and lower body taped to his seat and his hands secured with zip ties; he allegedly struck an officer in the chest after they removed his restraints.