Flight took off with disruptive passenger despite red flags

HONOLULU (AP) — Anil Uskanli, who authorities say inspired so much fear among flight attendants that military fighter jets were scrambled to escort the plane to Hawaii, raised a series of possible red flags between purchasing his ticket and being the first passenger to board the American Airlines flight.

Even though he was traveling to Hawaii, he didn't have any checked luggage or any carry-ons, other than a laptop, a phone and items in his pocket, according an FBI criminal complaint.

When he put his laptop on a drink cart a flight attendant used to block him, flight attendants feared the computer contained explosives, prompting the captain to initiate bomb-threat procedures.

"If he was a danger, we would not have ever let him go," he said.

Because he had walked into the restricted area at the airport and he was determined to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol, crew members helped him to the plane using a wheelchair, the complaint said.

Flight attendants were afraid of his laptop, the complaint said, because they are aware "that laptop computers potentially pose a new threat to airplane security because they may contain explosives that are undetected by airport screening measures."