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Airliner Diverted After Onboard Disturbance
A Delta airliner bound for California was diverted to Shreveport with an escort of two fighter planes Wednesday after the pilot reported a disturbance in the cabin.
The crew of Flight 357, with 148 people aboard from Atlanta to Los Angeles, decided to land the plane here after what the airline described as a "passenger incident." There were no injuries.
Police told The (Shreveport) Times that a male passenger apparently gave a flight attendant a non-threatening note. The Boeing 757 reported a problem at 2:43 p.m. and landed 26 minutes later.
Edward Stephenson, 37, of Venice, Calif. was arrested after the plane landed under the protection of two F-15 fighter jets. He will be charged in federal court with interfering with a flight, said Shreveport Police Chief Jim Roberts.
The passenger appeared disoriented when he was taken off the plane, police said. The FBI said no one was available to discuss the incident.
Delta spokeswoman Cindi Kurczewski said there were 139 passengers and nine crew members aboard the jetliner. She said the plane was diverted "due to a passenger incident," but referred questions to authorities. It was unclear where the two F-15 fighter planes took off from.
The flight continued on to Los Angeles after less than two hours.
On Monday, two F-16s were sent to escort an American Airlines jetliner to Chicago after a deranged man burst into the cockpit. Passengers tackled him, and the flight landed without incident.
One day later, a passenger on the same American flight from Los Angeles became intoxicated and unruly, striking a male flight attendant. The FBI said the 31-year-old Australian was forced into his seat and several passengers helped guard him until the plane landed in Chicago.
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