A Greenville man is accused of attacking a flight attendant on an American Airlines flight from Florida to DFW Airport and claiming the flight was hijacked last week, according to federal authorities.
Colby Isaac Hilleary, 24, faces a federal charge of interfering with the duties of a flight attendant.
He left his seat shortly after takeoff in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and ran to the front of the plane, according to a criminal complaint.
When a flight attendant told him to return to his seat, Hilleary told the attendant that "the plane is going the wrong way" and "there are no pilots on the plane."
Hilleary continued his "erratic" behavior, the complaint said, saying, "the plane has been hijacked." Hilleary then jumped up from his seat and attacked a flight attendant, the complaint said.
The plane made an emergency landing in Tampa, Fla.
Interfering with a flight attendant is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
