Benjamin Kueng, 46, was arrested and charged with public intoxication and obstructing a police officer after being hauled off an American Airlines flight last week
Glassy eyed and disheveled in his mug shot: this is the passenger who forced the diversion of an American Airlines flight last week after going on a foul-mouthed homophobic rant when he was ordered to stop vaping.
Texas businessman Benjamin Kueng, 46, was traveling first class on American Airlines flight 173 from Milwaukee to Dallas last Tuesday when he was told to put down his vape pen and became irate.
After attempts to calm Kueng down failed, the flight had to be diverted to Tulsa, Oklahoma, where the 46-year-old was ordered off the plane and charged with public intoxication and obstructing a police officer.
The flight eventually arrived in Dallas two hours behind schedule with fellow passengers telling DailyMail.com that many missed connecting flights due to Kuengs behavior and were forced to shell out for hotel rooms.
DailyMail.com has exclusively obtained video of the Texas businessman flying into a foul-mouthed tirade after he was ordered to stop vaping in the cabin on the September 3 flight
The video clip, taken from a passenger sitting behind Keung, shows him recording himself as he goes on an expletive-laden rant
Now DailyMail.com has exclusively obtained video showing Kuengs terrifying tirade, with the businessman leveling a barrage of foul-mouthed insults at other passengers.
According to some of the 107 passengers forced to share the flight with Kueng, he appeared drunk when he boarded and had been seen boozing in the airport ahead of the planes 5:27pm scheduled departure.
During boarding, he was seen kicking the ankle of an elderly Asian man who was passing him when he was demanding a pre-flight drink from a flight attendant.
Once the plane took off, the 46-year-old retrieved a vape pen from his pocket and began using the device, only to react furiously when told to stop.
He also continued to vape after being told to stop before the flight attendant went to speak to the captain – which prompted another rant.
If he was trying to hide it, he was doing a poor job, said a passenger who witnessed the incident and asked not to be named.
She saw him do it, and it was two or three extra times. And so she came back and she said, Ive alerted the captain that youre not complying.
In the footage, a petite female flight attendant can be seen pacing nervously as Keung hurled threats and homophobic insults to another passenger from his seat
The flight attendant at one point is then seen approaching Keung and telling him thats enough
The flight was diverted to Tulsa due to Kuengs behavior
When she said that he lost it. He tried to get his seatbelt off and fumbled with it, and hes yelling at her, screaming: Whatd you do? Whatcha you accusing me of?
The 225lb-brute then continued to berate the petite flight attendant, leaving her crying and shaking.
Fellow passengers forced him back into his seat but Kueng, of Haltom City, Texas, continued to rant with clips obtained by DailyMail.com showing him issuing a series of threats and homophobic insults.
This included calling one traveler a b**** and a f** a** mother****er before telling him lets see what happens when we get off this flight, dude.
He continued the tirade by asking the passenger next to him who are you bro? and calling him a piece of s*** while giving the person behind him the finger and calling him a ho ass mother****er and a plane f**.
In front of ranting Kueng, a second flight attendant can be seen announcing the plane will have to land before attempting to control the situation by telling him thats enough.
Kueng was cuffed and booked into the Tulsa County Jail at 7:46pm on September 3 and released the following morning, according to arrest records
DailyMail.com has learned Kueng was fined $4,000 for overcharging clients while working as a public adjuster and helping people settle their insurance claims. He has also been convicted twice of disorderly conduct in Texas
American Airlines later released a statement apologizing to passengers for the inconvenience aboard flight 1733
In the event, the plane was diverted to Tulsa where DailyMail.com video was filmed of a furious Kueng grabbing his black suitcase before telling security waiting for him on the jet bridge to move out of my way now.
Despite his attempt to brush past law enforcement, Kueng was cuffed and booked into the Tulsa County Jail at 7:46pm on September 3 and released the following morning – but not before being charged with one count of public intoxication and another of obstructing a police officer.
He also paid a $600 bond before being allowed to leave.
Kueng has a lengthy criminal history and was previously cuffed while still living in Wisconsin for a panoply of crimes, among them drug possession, theft and driving on a suspended license.
In Texas, he has twice been convicted of disorderly conduct.
In December 2022, he was fined $4,000 for overcharging three clients while working as a public adjuster – a role that involves helping people settle their insurance claims.
In a statement released after the most recent incident, American Airlines said: American Airlines Flight 1733, with service from Milwaukee, Wisconsin (MKE) to Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), diverted to Tulsa, Oklahoma (TUL) due to a disruptive customer.
We thank our team for their professionalism and apologize to our customers for the inconvenience.