LOS ANGELES - An airplane passenger holding a shoe struck a flight attendant and opened the plane's rear door, disrupting a Southwest Airlines flight about to take off for Las Vegas, authorities said.
"His words were that everybody on the plane was going to hell," passenger Michael Fitzhugh said. "You could see the panic of the passengers."
Police at Los Angeles International Airport arrested David Boone, 36, of New Orleans, on Monday for investigation of interfering with a flight crew. He was jailed without bail pending a federal court appearance yesterday.
Also Monday, security screeners at Chicago's Midway Airport discovered four pocketknives, a box cutter, two flares and a bottle of lighter fluid in a 20-year-old man's carry-on bag, police said. The man, whose identity was not released, was turned over to federal officials.
FBI spokeswoman Mary Lynn Muha said the man, who was described as being from Marshalltown, Iowa, would be charged later yesterday. Muha declined to provide further information.
Police said they did not know why the man had the items in his bag.
In California, authorities said the 6-foot-2, 210-pound Boone stood up on the Los Angeles-to-Las Vegas flight as the Boeing 737 was pulling away from the terminal Monday afternoon.
"He approached the rear of the aircraft with a shoe in his hand, and as a flight attendant tried to prevent him from opening the rear door, he hit her in the head with his fist," FBI spokesman Matthew McLaughlin said.
The attendant was treated for minor injuries. No one else was hurt.
Boone then allegedly opened the door but surrendered when two male passengers moved to subdue him. He was believed to have been drinking.
The shoe contained no trace of explosives, authorities said.
Last month, Richard Reid, 28, allegedly tried to blow up an American Airlines Paris-to-Miami flight with explosives hidden in his shoes. He was overpowered by flight attendants and passengers.
As many as 10 of the 137 passengers on Monday's Flight 1702 decided not to continue with the flight, Southwest spokeswoman Christine Turneabe-Connelly said from Dallas. Two pilots and three flight attendants also were aboard.
