13-Year-Old American Airlines Passenger Seen in Video Being Duct-Taped to an Airplane Seat

A 13-year-old American Airlines passenger was duct-taped to his seat after he became disruptive during a flight from Maui to Los Angeles on Tuesday.

According to Business Insider, the flight, which took off from the Hawaiian island of Maui, was diverted to Honolulu as the boy became disruptive about an hour into the American Airlines flight.

American Airlines Young Passenger Restrained

Witnesses told CBSN Los Angeles that the 13-year-old boy was duct-taped after he attempted to kick out a window next to his seat and became physical with his mother. They also said the boy, with a developmental disability, was screaming, punching, and kicking the seats in front of him.

In a video obtained by CBS Los Angeles, the boy appeared being duct-taped to his seat. About two passengers were also seen helping to restrain the boy as an airline staff approached with duct tape.

The American Airlines flight took off from the Hawaiian island of Maui at around 12:30 p.m. local time and was scheduled to land in Los Angeles five hours later. But due to the unexpected incident, the flight was diverted instead to Honolulu, where American Airlines passengers were given hotel rooms or placed on other flights.

Upon landing in Honolulu, the young American Airlines passenger was put in plastic handcuffs and escorted off the flight. The boy was reportedly taken into custody because of his actions. Luckily, no one was reported injured.

An American Airlines representative said that the safety and security of their passengers are their top priority. The representative also apologized to the customers for any inconvenience that the incident caused.

An individual, who was also a passenger, said the plane landed in Honolulu at around 3:47 p.m. local time. The passenger also confirmed that the flight was diverted because of an incident "with a passenger on board."

Unruly Airline Passengers

It was not the first time airline staff members used duct tape to prevent unruly behavior during a flight. Last month, an airline staff duct-taped a passenger to his seat on a Frontier Airlines flight to Miami.

The man was caught on video throwing a punch at a flight attendant and screaming obscenities. He was also accused of inappropriately touching female crew members and removing his shirt during the flight, which caused panic to some passengers.

Also, in July, a TikTok video showed a woman duct-taped to her seat on an American Airlines flight after she tried to exit the plane during the flight. She also attacked the flight attendants when she was advised to remain in her seat.

A spokesman from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) earlier said that about 3,000 cases of disruptive passengers were already reported by airlines since January 1.

The spokesman noted that about 2,300 cases from the 3,000 involved passengers who do not want to wear face masks during their flights.

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Written by: Jess Smith

WATCH: 13-Year-Old Boy Restrained On Flight From Maui To Los Angeles - From CBSN Los Angeles