Somewhere above the American interior, the fragile social contract that makes air travel possible was tested when a passenger turned on those around him with violence and hatred. Two hours into a flight from Dallas to Newark, a man attacked his seatmate and unleashed racial and homophobic abuse at crew members, forcing fellow travelers and a retired officer to bind him to his seat with duct tape and zip ties. The aircraft diverted to Baltimore, where law enforcement restored the order that civility had failed to hold. The episode is a quiet reminder that the safety of a cabin at altitude depen
American Airlines passenger duct-taped to seat after mid-flight assault and racial abuse
One passenger was physically attacked and grabbed by the neck; multiple passengers and crew members were subjected to racial slurs and homophobic remarks.