Passenger restrained with duct tape after disruptive incident on US flight VIDEO

A passenger was restrained with duct tape and zip ties after allegedly becoming violent and disruptive during an American Airlines flight from Texas to New Jersey, prompting the pilot to divert the aircraft to Baltimore.

The incident occurred on the night of September 3 on a flight from Dallas, Texas, to Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey. Witnesses told CBS News New York that the intoxicated passenger created a dangerous situation roughly two hours into the flight.

According to witnesses, the man shouted religious curses, directed racist insults at a flight attendant, struck another passenger, damaged a passenger’s laptop and became involved in a physical confrontation with other people on board.

Juan Mejia, a retired law enforcement officer, and fellow passenger Richard Olenick said they were seated two rows ahead of the man and intervened after the situation escalated.

Mejia said passengers in the first-class section were subjected to repeated insults, hostility and offensive language.

The two men said they helped restrain the passenger using duct tape and zip ties supplied by a flight attendant. They said the passenger resisted and fought back during the struggle.

“He bit my hand. He didn't break skin, just left teeth marks on my hand. We were covered in his blood,” Mejia said, adding that the passenger was bleeding from cuts he had inflicted on himself.

The pilot subsequently diverted the flight to Baltimore, where local police and the FBI took over the situation. According to Mejia and Olenick, the passenger remained restrained for approximately 15 minutes until the aircraft landed.

By Sabina Mammadli