Man indicted on charge of interfering with flight crew

Friday, Nov. 7, 2003 | 9:08 a.m.

A man who boarded an airplane at McCarran International Airport on Oct. 22, then allegedly told flight attendants he was going to "take the aircraft down," was indicted Wednesday on a charge of interfering with a flight crew member.

Salvador Gonzalez, 27, of Oceanside, Calif., was arrested after causing Southwest Airlines flight 2466 to be diverted back to Las Vegas from its scheduled flight to Ontario, Calif., an FBI spokesman said.

During boarding at McCarran, Gonzalez allegedly asked flight attendants if he could talk to police when they landed in California. When flight attendants told him he could talk to police at McCarran, Gonzalez rejected the suggestion.

Soon after departure Gonzalez said he needed oxygen and refused to sit down, FBI officials said. He then went to the front of the aircraft and allegedly said, "I want to get off this plane. Do I have to say there is a bomb to get you to land?"

Gonzalez continued to make threatening comments and said he had a bomb in his bag, before being restrained by the flight crew and passengers and forcing the plane to return to McCarran.