Duct-Taped American Airlines Passenger Says He Remembers Nothing About Midair Meltdown After Two Vodka Cocktails

Layne Lundeen, 67, restrained with duct tape and zip ties aboard an American Airlines flight.Richard O’Lenick

An American Airlines passenger who was restrained with duct tape and zip ties during a chaotic flight to Newark has now revealed what he drank before the incident — while insisting that his memory cuts off before the alleged outburst began.

Layne Lundeen, 67, told a Maryland judge that he had consumed two screwdrivers, cocktails made with vodka and orange juice, before the Sept. 3 episode. The disturbance became serious enough for the Dallas-to-Newark flight to divert to Baltimore.

Despite the dramatic scenes described by witnesses, Lundeen told the court he does not remember what happened.

“I don’t remember any of what happened,” he said during his appearance in Annapolis.

Passenger Says His Memory Disappeared Before the Disturbance

Lundeen, an Arizona realtor who reportedly lost his job following the incident, had been traveling in first class when his behavior allegedly changed roughly two hours into the flight.

According to fellow passenger Jonathan Cahn, a Messianic rabbi seated beside him, the two initially had a friendly conversation.

Cahn said the atmosphere changed abruptly when their discussion turned to religion.

“I have never seen someone change in a split second from light to dark as I saw then, as if something had taken him over,” Cahn recalled. “He went from the friendliest guy in the world to this dark person.”

Lundeen allegedly began shouting profanities and racial and homophobic slurs while also making offensive remarks involving religion.

The escalating disruption eventually prompted other passengers to intervene.

Passengers Used Duct Tape and Zip Ties to Restrain Him

As the situation intensified, several people aboard the aircraft helped secure Lundeen to his first-class seat using duct tape and zip ties.

Among those who stepped in was Juan Mejia, a retired law enforcement officer.

Mejia later said a flight attendant had mentioned serving Lundeen at least one alcoholic drink. Lundeen’s subsequent court appearance provided a more specific account: he said he had consumed two screwdrivers.

The crew ultimately diverted the aircraft to Baltimore rather than continuing directly to Newark.

Once the plane landed, police boarded to remove Lundeen. Authorities allege that he struck an officer during that process.

Lundeen Appeared Surprised by the Assault Allegation

What Lundeen said in court afterward added another unusual element to the case.

When the allegation involving the police officer was mentioned, he appeared unaware of it.

“I assaulted a police officer? Is that what it says?” Lundeen reportedly asked the judge, adding, “I don’t have my glasses.”

His comments were consistent with his claim that he could not remember the events that unfolded during the flight.

Lundeen did not dispute that he had been drinking beforehand, however, telling the court that he had consumed two vodka-and-orange-juice cocktails.

The article does not establish that the drinks caused his alleged behavior.

A Routine Dallas-to-Newark Flight Ends in Baltimore

The American Airlines flight had departed Dallas, Texas, bound for Newark when the disruption began approximately two hours after takeoff, according to Mejia.

What had started as an ordinary flight quickly became a confrontation serious enough for passengers to physically restrain Lundeen and for the pilots to make an unscheduled landing.

Images from the incident showed the 67-year-old secured in his seat before authorities took him into custody after landing in Maryland.

The episode also had consequences beyond the flight. Lundeen, who worked as a realtor in Arizona, reportedly lost his job following the incident.

Criminal Charges Filed After Emergency Landing

The screwdriver cocktail was invented by American aviators in WWII.Brent Hofacker – stock.adobe.com

Lundeen was arrested following the diversion and charged with second-degree assault and disorderly conduct.

The allegations against him remain accusations, and the supplied report does not indicate that he has been convicted.

For Lundeen, one of the most striking parts of the case is now the gap between what passengers say they witnessed and what he says he can remember.

He acknowledges drinking two screwdrivers before the disturbance, but told the judge that his recollection stops before the behavior that ultimately left him duct-taped to an airplane seat and facing criminal charges.