Drunken, Knife-Waving Passenger Stops Flight

A drunken, knife-waving passenger who threatened to “bring this plane down” forced a midnight flight from Las Vegas to make an unscheduled stop here Friday. No one was hurt.

Danny Christopher Walters, 25, of Clarkton, N.C., was subdued by airport police who boarded the USAir 737.

Later, in handcuffs and leg shackles, he was led into federal court on charges of interfering with a crew member and attendant, and assaulting passengers. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison.

Walters shook his head when U.S. Magistrate Juliet Griffin told him he kicked a passenger in the back of the head and spit whiskey on him.

Griffin said Walters also grabbed a flight attendant twice and walked toward the flight’s captain before bringing out a pocketknife and cutting up seats.

“All I know is that last night I was being arrested for hijacking an airplane and … obviously they needed a scapegoat so they found one,” Walters said. He was ordered held without bond pending a hearing Monday.