Wow this was scary. Was he trying to be a hero? Smoking in the lav??? Revenge? A nut case? Flight attendant charged with starting fire on plane - CNN.com (CNN)An American Airlines flight attendant has been charged after admitting to starting a fire on board a flight, the FBI said. Authorities said Johnathan Tafoya-Montano was working on a flight traveling from Dallas to Detroit On February 1 when he reported a fire in the rear lavatory and then extinguished it. The plane, which was already near the Detroit airport when the pilot reported the fire to the control tower, landed without incident. The FBI said an investigation revealed that Tafoya-Montano started the fire. He was arrested on March 1 and charged with "destruction of aircraft or aircraft facilities" and making false statements to authorities.
Sounds like the flight attendant was trying to create an excuse so the aircraft might land without delay ("already near the Detroit airport").
