The American Airlines passenger who was duct taped to his seat after allegedly going berserk during a flight to Newark has broken his silence about the mortifying episode.

His explanation was simple, stunning, and remarkably convenient: He claimed he could not remember any of it.

Layne Lundeen, 67, appeared before a judge one day after his arrest and said he had no recollection of the chaos aboard the flight.

The Banner obtained audio of the court hearing and reported his bewildered response as proceedings began.

“I don’t remember any of what happened,” Lundeen said, according to The Banner.

His remarks came as the accusations against him were addressed during the proceeding.

Lundeen then appeared surprised by what he was reading and hearing about the incident.

“I assaulted a police officer? Is that what it says?” he reportedly asked during the hearing.

The Arizona realtor then put on his glasses and reviewed the accusations against him.

That closer look apparently did little to clear up the mystery in his mind, but it did produce another astonished reaction.

“Oh my God. What a mess. I don’t remember any of it,” Lundeen said.

The comment offered a striking response to allegations involving an episode serious enough to disrupt an entire flight and require intervention from other passengers.

Lundeen’s alleged conduct included what was described as a racist and homophobic tirade.

The outburst reportedly became so severe that fellow passengers had to restrain him aboard the American Airlines flight.

The response did not stop with passengers holding him down.

Lundeen had to be duct taped to his seat as the flight, which had been traveling to Newark, was forced to make an emergency landing in Baltimore.

The spectacle later went viral, bringing further consequences for Lundeen away from the aircraft.

The Arizona realtor was let go from his job after the episode spread widely online.

During his court appearance, Lundeen also explained why he had been traveling.

He told the judge he was on his way to help one of his daughters move into a new apartment and to celebrate her birthday.

That family trip took a dramatic turn after the alleged tirade erupted in the air.

Instead of reaching Newark as planned, the flight made its emergency stop in Baltimore while Lundeen was restrained in his seat.

A day after his arrest, Lundeen was left reviewing accusations that he repeatedly insisted he could not recall.

His questions and reactions during the hearing reflected his professed shock over the allegations placed before him.

The audio obtained by The Banner captured Lundeen confronting the account of his alleged behavior in real time.

WATCH:

First came the sweeping denial of any memory, followed by a question about allegedly assaulting a police officer and then his blunt assessment of the situation as a mess.

The allegations nevertheless describe a midflight meltdown that required passengers to act, flight personnel to divert the plane, and authorities to arrest Lundeen.

His answer before the judge was not a detailed rebuttal, but a repeated claim that the entire episode had vanished from his memory.

For Lundeen, the consequences described in the account were anything but imaginary.

He faced accusations in court, lost his job after the incident went viral, and became known as the passenger who had to be restrained and duct taped during a flight to Newark.

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