The plane landed safely and the accused was arrested for destruction of property.
New York:
A mid-air chaos broke out on a JetBlue flight on Tuesday after a woman passenger started a fire inside the plane using a lighter. She was arrested by the FBI and now faces a jail term of up to 25 years if convicted.
Idializ Gomez had boarded the Puerto Rico bound JetBlue flight 745 at the John F Kennedy International Airport in New York on September 6. After the plane was airborne, she grabbed a lighter and set fire to two blankets and an in-flight control panel. The plane however landed safely.
Ms Gomez was arrested when the plane landed in the southern coastal town of Pone, at the Mercedita International Airport.
US federal regulations allow passengers to carry one lighter in their carry-on baggage, media reports said.
The FBI released a statement after the incident saying the accused had been arrested and charged with the destruction of aircraft or aircraft facilities.
The FBI statement said: "If convicted, the defendant faces up to 25 years' imprisonment.
Jet Blue Airways has said the incident is under investigation and they were cooperating with law enforcement.
Idializ Gomez had boarded the Puerto Rico bound JetBlue flight 745 at the John F Kennedy International Airport in New York on September 6. After the plane was airborne, she grabbed a lighter and set fire to two blankets and an in-flight control panel. The plane however landed safely.
Ms Gomez was arrested when the plane landed in the southern coastal town of Pone, at the Mercedita International Airport.
US federal regulations allow passengers to carry one lighter in their carry-on baggage, media reports said.
The FBI released a statement after the incident saying the accused had been arrested and charged with the destruction of aircraft or aircraft facilities.
The FBI statement said: "If convicted, the defendant faces up to 25 years' imprisonment.
Jet Blue Airways has said the incident is under investigation and they were cooperating with law enforcement.
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