Man indicted for mid-flight assault that prompted duct tape restraints, emergency landing at BWI Airport

Layne Lundeen, a 67-year-old real estate agent from Tucson, Arizona, has been indicted over a mid-flight assault that led passengers to restrain him with duct tape and forced an emergency landing at BWI Airport in Maryland. Federal prosecutors say the Sept. 3 flight from Dallas to Newark was about two hours in when Lundeen allegedly interfered with crew members, ignored instructions, and used abusive language, including racial slurs. The confrontation reportedly turned physical when he grabbed a seatmate’s neck, began choking him, and then struck a woman who intervened. During a September hearing, Lundeen told a judge he didn’t remember the events. If convicted, he faces up to 21 years.