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Eder Rojas, 19, a flight attendant at the Compass Airlines,
got very upset about his work route and decided to take charge of the situation
by setting a fire in the airplane’s bathroom, causing the plane to make a
forced landing.
According to ABC News, on May 7, the Compass Airlines flight
was on a route from Minneapolis to Regina, carrying 72 passengers and four crew members, when
it forced an emergency landing in Fargo.
There were no injuries.
Apparently, Rojas passed a lighter through security
checkpoint, although the rules didn’t allow him.
Pilot Steve Peterka told authorities that after 35 minutes
of flight, the light that indicates smoke came on. The fire was in the rear
bathroom.
Court documents said that Rojas had lit some paper towels
with a lighter and when the pilot asked him to check the bathroom he reportedly
put down the fire with the help of another flight attendant and a passenger.
Later on, when authorities found the lighter and interrogated him, Rojas
confessed, ABC News reported.
Rojas faces up 20 years in prison being charged with setting
fire aboard a civil aircraft. He appeared in court Thursday and was ordered to
be held without bail.
In addition to his charges, the flight attendant was also
fired from his job.
The passengers of the flight flew back to Minneapolis
on May 8, where they were rebooked on flights to Regina.
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