Airline passenger duct-taped, zip-tied after hurling racist, homophobic slurs in mid-air meltdown
A airline passenger was duct-taped and zip-tied by other travelers and crew after he hurled racist and homophobic slurs in an unhinged mid-flight meltdown — forcing the plane to divert on Thursday night, according to a report.
The bigoted passenger was on American Airlines flight 618 from Dallas to Newark when he flew off the handle with a fire-and-brimstone-fueled diatribe at his seatmate around 10:15 p.m., prompting a black flight attendant and passengers to step in and restrain him.
When the flight attendant intervened, the buffoon then hurled the n-word at him and spewed anti-gay slurs, according to TMZ.
Footage shows the man mummy-like, bound and tied to his seat — his hands, head and torso restrained.
As the knucklehead went completely off the rails he lashed out physically, smacking his seatmate and smashing his computer.
A female passenger then began to help the man next to the blowhard but the creep pushed her back.
Three other male passengers then jumped in and contained the unruly man with duct tape and zip ties.
American Airlines told The Post in a statement that the flight was diverted to Baltimore “due to a disruptive customer” and that when the plane landed “law enforcement met the aircraft and assisted with deplaning the customer before the flight continued to its destination.”
The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that the freakout is under investigation, and that there have been more than “1,160 unruly passenger incidents so far in 2026.”

An FBI spokesperson told The Post that the man was arrested by Maryland Transportation Police and booked on state charges.
The feds are working with the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland to determine whether federal charges will be filed.
“The FBI is currently conducting interviews to gather the facts and will consult with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland to determine if federal charges will be filed,” the bureau said.
USAMD declined The Post’s request for comment.
Maryland Transportation Police did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.