Video of the incident appears to show a flight attendant about to use duct tape on a passenger, but American Airlines says flexcuffs, also known as zip ties, were ultimately used.
An 11-year-old boy, reportedly with special needs, was restrained in his seat on board an American Airlines flight after becoming disruptive, according to the airline. The plane was diverted to Honolulu after taking off from Kahului Airport in Maui en route to Los Angeles after the incident, according to the airline.
Video taken on the plane by another passenger shows a flight attendant coming down the aisle with what appears to be a roll of duct tape. But American Airlines says that flexcuffs, also known as zipties, were ultimately used to restrain the boy, not the duct tape.
After the emergency landing, the boy and his family were taken off the flight. No arrests were made. Customers were re-accommodated on other flights or provided hotel accommodations, American Airlines said in a statement.
"Safety and security is our top priority and we apologize to our customers for any inconvenience this caused,” the statement continued.
The incident comes after a wild moment on a Frontier Airlines flight last week, when a passenger was duct-taped after allegedly groping two flight attendants.
Now the FAA, fed up with the violent incidents, is posting memes to politely warn people that they need to be on their best behavior when flying.
“Don't make me turn this plane around,” goes one meme.
“It can cost you $35,000 or worse, jail time. Do you really want to spend your vacation in jail?” the picture was captioned.
