Plane passenger arrested after she used ‘a lighter to set multiple blankets and control panel on fire’ during a flight
Idializ Gomez faces up to 25 years in jail if she is found guilty of damaging the aircraft flying from New York City to Ponce in Puerto Rico
A WOMAN who tried to set fire to a plane while flying on a jetBlue flight to Puerto Rico has been arrested.
Idializ Gomez had boarded the jetBlue flight 745 at the John F Kennedy International Airport in New York in the early hours of September 6 before going on her arsonist rampage.
Having boarded the flight about 12.43am, the flight quickly descended into chaos when the woman grabbed a lighter and successfully set fire to two blankets and an in-flight control panel.
She was arrested by the FBI when the plane landed in the southern coastal town of Pone, at the Mercedita International Airport.
It is unclear why she wanted to set fire to the plane.
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It is also unclear weather she had an attorney to represent her.
The FBI released a statement after the incident, saying she had been arrested and charged with the destruction of aircraft or aircraft facilities, in violation of Title 18 USC Section 32(a)(1).
The FBI statement said: "If convicted, the defendant faces up to 25 years’ imprisonment.
"This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Seth A. Erbe, and investigated by the FBI."
US federal regulations allow passengers to carry one lighter in their carry-on baggage.
Jet Blue Airways has said the incident is under investigation.
The airline said they were currently cooperating with law enforcement.
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