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Polk Man Charged With Threatening Airliner

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By Jason Odra / TBO.com

Published: December 11, 2007

A 42-year-old Polk County man was arrested by the FBI Monday night in connection with a threat against an airliner bound for Atlanta from Orlando.

Jerry James Williams, of 710 Sunset Ave. in Auburndale, was arrested at Orlando International Airport and today was charged with conveying false information in violation of an airline safety statute, said Dave Couvertier, the spokesman for the FBI's Tampa office.

Jerry Williams, 42

After his federal court appearance today in Orlando, Williams was detained until another hearing, possibly later this week, Couvertier said. It was not known whether Williams had an attorney.

AirTran Airways Flight 856 was about 20 minutes outside Atlanta on Monday night when airline officials learned that a man had made a nonspecific threat against the flight, AirTran Vice President of Marketing Tad Hutcheson said today.

Williams, using an airport courtesy phone, said his wife was on the flight and had made a threat against the plane, Hutcheson said.

"I didn't make any threats," Williams told reporters as he was put into the back of a police cruiser.

AirTran officials radioed the Boeing 717, which landed in a remote area at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Hutcheson said.

The 98 passengers and five crew members on board were bused to the airport, and TSA workers rescreened passengers by hand as a precaution.

Officers from the Atlanta Police Department and the Transportation Security Administration searched the aircraft.

Hutcheson said the woman told authorities she was Williams' ex-girlfriend. She was allowed to travel on to Philadelphia, where she lives, he said.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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