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By Tim Korte, The Associated Press
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -
A Delta Air Lines flight from Los Angeles to Florida was diverted to New Mexico early Friday after a passenger sprayed the first-class cabin with a water bottle, tried to open a cabin door and threatened to blow up the aircraft.
Crew members and passengers on Delta flight 2148 to Tampa subdued Stanley Dwayne Sheffield, 46. He was taken into federal custody after the plane landed at early Friday.
FBI Supervisory Special Agent Darrin Jones said authorities do not believe the incident was related to terrorism.
Sheffield, whose hometown in Florida was not disclosed by investigators, was charged with interference with flight crew members and destruction of aircraft.
Sheffield made an initial appearance Friday before U.S. Magistrate Richard Puglisi, who scheduled preliminary and detention hearings for Monday. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chuck Barth said Sheffield remained jailed in Albuquerque.
According to a criminal complaint, the incident began 90 minutes after takeoff when a flight attendant noticed Sheffield, seated in first class, was awake and asked if he could bring anything.
Sheffield did not respond.
The flight attendant asked again 15 minutes later, again with no response.
Sheffield then went to a lavatory and, while returning, grabbed a 2-litre water bottle from a drink cart and sprayed other passengers.
"Get behind me, Satan," Sheffield told the flight attendant.
When flight attendants asked Sheffield to return to his seat, he refused, then tried to open the aircraft's main door while making threats about blowing up the airplane.
"I am going to bring this plane down," Sheffield said. The complaint said he also shouted: "You need to land this plane or I'm going to blow it up" and, "I will blow up this plane and take you all with me." He then approached the cockpit door, again shouting, "Get behind me, Satan."
Several passengers struggled with Sheffield and tied him up with seat belt extenders and nylon hand restraints.
A passenger told investigators Sheffield broke one of the restraints and a leather belt before he was subdued.
The pilot decided to land in Albuquerque, where Sheffield was taken into custody. The flight to Tampa resumed at 4 a.m.
Susan Elliott, a spokeswoman at Delta's headquarters in Atlanta, said the aircraft, an Airbus A320, and its 100 passengers and seven crew members were never in jeopardy.
"It is impossible to open a cabin door during flight because of the pressurization of the aircraft," she said.
