Skybus passenger cries Gun

Story courtesy of the Columbus Dispatch.

An unruly passenger was who caused a Skybus flight to return to Port Columbus announced he was an armed TSA agent and “had enough bullets for everyone on the plane,” according to an FBI arrest report.

Todd. W. Tornstrom, 35, of Chesterland outside Cleveland was awaiting a hearing this afternoon in federal court in Columbus.

According to the report, Flight 81 with 134 passengers aboard was already two hours late departing for Fort Lauderdale, Fla., when it began taxiing to the runway about 8:30 p.m. When told to stow a woman companion’s carry-on bag, Tornstrom allegedly told a flight attendant he was a Transportation Security Administration agent and had a gun.

The attendant became concerned because the badge didn’t look like a TSA badge and she had heard him make the “bullet” comment to other passengers, according to the FBI.

Once the plane was in the air, the attendant told the pilot about Tornstrom. The pilot told her to obtain identification from Tornstrom, who told her he had lost his badge.

After a conversation with law enforcement, the pilot turned the plane around just after crossing the Ohio River and returned to Columbus at 10:37 p.m.

Airport police took Tornstrom off the plane and booked him into the Franklin County jail. His companion, Erin Hudson, 31, of Mentor, had a badge from the Bratenahl Police Department, a Cleveland suburb, with the inscriptions “Bratenahl Friend,” “Sergeant” and “Todd.”

Hudson was not expected to be charged.

Passengers had to get off the plane and were subjected to another security check before being allowed to re-board the plane and continue to Fort Lauderdale. Some passengers refused.

“The flight attendant considered it sufficiently threatening that she notified the pilot, which is exactly what they are trained to do,” said Bob Tenenbaum, Skybus spokesman.