A man who was duct-taped to his plane seat by fellow travellers after allegedly delivering an ugly racist and violent mid-flight spray has suffered even more fallout.

The passenger, who has since been named as 67-year-old Tucson real estate agent Layne Arthur Lundeen, was apparently at the centre of an alarming incident that forced an American Airlines flight to make an emergency landing.

Retail boss Richard Olenick was also aboard American Airlines flight 618 from Dallas-Fort Worth to Newark on September 3. He was on his way home from a work convention with a colleague, retired police officer Juan Mejia, when chaos broke out about two hours into the flight.

“Everything was fine, until it wasn’t,” Olenick told FOX 10.

Layne Lundeen is restrained in his seat after the incident aboard the American Airlines flight. Photo: Richard Olenick

He alleges that Lundeen began shouting obscenities and abuse at a flight attendant.

Lundeen is then accused of grabbing the neck of the man sitting next to him, and trying to choke him. When a woman tried to stop the attack, Lundeen reportedly hit her, prompting Olenick and Mejia to rush down the aisle to intervene.

“[The] gentlemen sitting two rows behind us started becoming belligerent, making derogatory remarks of the staff of American Airlines and other passengers, racial slurs, vulgar language, very offensive to the women” in the row behind him, Mejia said.

Mejia pulled the woman to safety while Olenick squeezed between the seats to hold the thrashing suspect down.

“Juan immediately knew that action had to be taken. He got up right away and jumped in the seat right next to the passenger and began working on restraining him in order to keep the situation contained,” Olenick said.

Lundeen is accused of fighting back hard, including biting Mejia on the hand.

“He didn’t break skin, just left teeth marks on my hand. We were covered in his blood,” Mejia told CBS News. “He was bleeding quite a bit from cuts that he inflicted on himself.”

Flight attendants handed over cable ties and rolls of duct tape to restrain Lundeen.

Meija said he declined one crew member’s suggestion to tape Lundeen’s mouth shut, fearing he might block his breathing. Instead he wrapped the tape around Lundeen’s chest, arms, hands and head to restrain him in his seat.

Flight 618 then made an emergency landing in Baltimore, where Lundeen, who is from Tucson, was arrested.

His identity emerged after charges of second-degree assault and disorderly conduct were laid in Maryland. The FBI is also investigating to determine if federal charges will be filed.

US media is reporting the incident was triggered by a conversation between Lundeen and seat-neighbour, Rabbi Jonathan Cahn, about religion. The discussion was initially “friendly” but Lundeen apparently snapped after a single alcoholic drink.

Cahn has said that Lundeen grabbed him by the throat, hit him and broke his laptop. He said Lundeen began cursing at him and God.

“At that moment, I’ve never seen anything like this. His face changes. His voice changes,” he told The Christian Broadcasting Network.

“We are wrestling on the plane. I mean, we are literally wrestling.”

This week there has been more fallout for Lundeen, who appears to have been fired from his job.

Long Realty in Tucson, where Lundeen was previously listed as vice president, broker and realtor, said it had “ended its affiliation” with him.

“The individual is no longer associated with or authorised to represent Long Realty in any capacity,” it wrote in a social media post.

“The conduct described in the reports is wholly inconsistent with the professionalism, integrity, compassion, and respect for others that Long Realty expects from those affiliated with the company.”

American Airlines acknowledged the incident in a statement, commending the crew and passengers for their swift action.

“The safety and security of our customers and team members is our top priority, and we do not tolerate violence,” it said.