Layne Lundeen, a 67-year-old Arizona realtor, spoke publicly for the first time after being duct-taped to his seat during an in-flight incident on a Dallas-to-Newark flight. The plane made an emergency landing in Baltimore where Lundeen was arrested and later released with charges of second-degree assault and disorderly conduct. Passengers restrained him after he allegedly launched into a racist and homophobic rant, according to reports. Rabbi Jonathan Cahn, seated next to Lundeen, claims the realtor assaulted him, grabbed his throat, hit him, and broke his laptop during the altercation.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-16,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
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An Arizona realtor who had to be duct-taped to his first class seat after flipping out mid flight has spoken out for the first time after his air-rage went viral.
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rage → see → time
Layne Lundeen, 67, was removed from his flight from Dallas, Texas, to Newark, New Jersey, earlier this month after allegedly launching into a racist and homophobic rant.
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Lundeen → remove → rant
Passengers bound him to his chair and the plane was forced to make an emergency landing at Baltimore airport where he was arrested.
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he → bind → airport
According to The Banner, he appeared in court the day after and faced two charges of second-degree assault and disorderly conduct.
The outlet has since obtained audio of his court proceedings, in which he said: 'I don't remember any of what happened.'
As proceedings got underway, he was advised of the charges held against him to which he said: 'I assaulted a police officer?
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I → accord → officer
Is that what it says?'
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it → say → what
After he put his glasses on to read the accusations, he added: 'Oh my God.
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he → put → accusations
I don’t remember any of it.'
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I → remember → it
When questioned by the judge, Lundeen said he had been flying to help one of his daughters move into a new apartment and to celebrate her birthday.
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one → question → birthday
Passengers bound Lundeen to his chair and the plane was forced to make an emergency landing at Baltimore airport where he was arrested
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he → bind → airport
When questioned by the judge, Lundeen said he had been flying to help one of his daughters move into a new apartment and to celebrate her birthday
'
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one → question → birthday
I came to New York City.
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I → come → City
I don’t know how I got to Maryland.
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I → know → Maryland
I was supposed to land in New Jersey.
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I → suppose → Jersey
I got a double whammy for my trip, now it's a triple whammy,' he said.
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he → get → trip
He was later released and told to stay away from drugs and alcohol.
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He → release → drugs
his trial date is scheduled for October 19, according to court records seen by the Daily Mail.
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date → schedule → Mail
Since the outburst, it has emerged that Lundeen was sat beside Rabbi Jonathan Cahn, a controversial author known for linking biblical prophecy to current events.
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Lundeen → emerge → events
Cahn spoke with the Daily Mail after the incident saying that Lundeen grabbed him by the throat, hit him and broke his laptop midflight.
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Lundeen → speak → laptop
According to Cahn, he and Lundeen had been talking about their religious views before the conversation took a turn.
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conversation → accord → turn
In a 'split second,' Cahn claimed, Lundeen, who he believes had just a couple of drinks, became enraged and started cursing at him and God.
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he → claim → him
Cahn said: 'He said he was at one point a Christian, but he rejected Jesus after he got divorced and he felt judged by Christians over the divorce.
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he → say → divorce
I was trying to help him, I was trying to encourage him and say Jesus had trouble with religious hypocrites.'
Since the outburst, it has emerged that Lundeen was sat beside Rabbi Jonathan Cahn, a controversial author known for linking biblical prophecy to current events, Cahn is seen here
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Cahn → try → events
The flight was two hours into its journey to New Jersey when Lundeen is said to have lashed out
But it was when married Cahn, 66, started talking about his own experiences of God that Lundeen allegedly saw red and 'turned.'
'
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Lundeen → say → red
His face changed, his voice changed, and he said...
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he → change → ?
almost in a whisper, he was like, "I have something to tell you," and he said, "Bulls***,"' Cahn alleged.
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Cahn → have → *
Cahn claimed he tried to withdraw from Lundeen by doing some work on his laptop, but his seatmate allegedly then began knocking his screen and attempting to get him to talk again.
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him → claim → screen
He said a flight attendant allegedly then came over to tell him to quiet down.
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attendant → say → him
As the saga escalated, Lundeen allegedly called a black flight attendant the N-word and made homophobic comments, according to TMZ.
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Lundeen → escalate → TMZ
Cahn claimed that Lundeen then hit his chest and abdomen 'like he's trying to start a fight,' before allegedly threatening: 'I'm gonna punch your f***** Jewish face in.'
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I → claim → face
He claimed he had a 'feeling' Lundeen wanted to destroy his laptop so he got up from his seat taking his computer and cellphone with him.
But he said when he stood up, Lundeen allegedly lunged for his laptop and tried to wrestle it off him – leaving the whole plane in 'shock.'
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Lundeen → claim → shock
He alleged that during the struggle, Lundeen broke Cahn's laptop and hurt Cahn's already injured arm.
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Lundeen → allege → arm
Richard O'Lenick, left, and his employee Juan Mejia, right, sprang into action help subdue Lundeen on their American Airlines flight home to New Jersey
Cahn, for his part, told the Daily Mail he didn't 'specifically' hear what Lundeen said – including whether or not he uttered the racial slur or made homophobic comments.
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he → spring → comments
But he claimed he did hear him say something 'vulgar' about the genitals of a male flight attendant.
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him → claim → attendant
Cahn said Lundeen tried to be 'friendly' to him again before allegedly putting 'both hands around my neck' and 'pushing going back and forth.'
Juan Mejia, a retired police officer who was on the flight, and Richard Olenick, a store manager, reportedly restrained Lundeen with duct tape around his wrists, head and body to tie him to the seat.
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who → say → seat
At one point, Lundeen allegedly tried to get out of his restraints but the male passengers held him down.
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passengers → try → him
Cahn said he switched seats before the plane made its emergency landing at Baltimore.
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plane → say → Baltimore
When FBI agents boarded the plane, he said he gave them his contact details but has yet to hear from them.
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he → board → them
After footage of the wild incident went viral, Lundeen was promptly fired from Long Realty in Tucson, where he was reportedly vice president.
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he → go → Tucson
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