A video of a passenger punching a flight attendant in the back of his head circulated online Wednesday.
In the video, the passenger is seen running toward the flight attendant and punching him while the flight attendant is facing away from him.
The incident happened during a flight from Mexico to Los Angeles.
According to a CBS report, as soon as the plane reached Los Angeles the passenger was detained by the FBI, as attacking the flight crew while flying is a federal offense.
A witness to the incident told reporters that the other passengers assisted the flight crew to restrain the attacker during the flight.
A spokesperson for the FBI said that it is possible to file a federal complaint against the suspect immediately.
American Airlines's response
American Airlines issued a statement in response to the event saying "The individual involved in this incident will never be allowed to travel with us in the future, and we will work closely with law enforcement in their investigation."
"We thank our crew for their quick action and professionalism to ensure the safety of their fellow team members and customers on board. Our thoughts are with our injured flight attendant, and we are ensuring that they and their fellow crew members have the support they need at this time," they added.