BANGOR – The former Air Force member who was detained Tuesday on a trans-Atlantic flight after allegedly claiming he had explosives in his luggage and a fake passport lives a “squeaky clean” life and has never been in trouble before, his father told The Associated Press.
Richard Stansberry said government officials told him the man who was detained after the Paris-to-Atlanta flight was diverted to Maine is his son, 26-year-old Derek Stansberry of Riverview, Fla.
The father said government officials questioned him, but he was as perplexed as they were.
“My son’s profession in the military required he live a squeaky clean life,” Richard Stansberry said.
The father said his son served four years in the Air Force before leaving last year for a job in the private sector. He wouldn’t identify his son’s employer, but said the firm does work for the Air Force.
There were 235 passengers and 13 crew aboard Delta Air Lines Flight 273. The flight landed safely just after 3:30 p.m. at Bangor International Airport.
According to U.S. officials who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the investigation was ongoing, the man claimed to have explosives in his luggage and a fake passport. They said his passport was authentic.
The officials would not say what rank he held or the type of discharge he received.
Federal officials met the aircraft at the airport. The Transportation Security Administration said the passenger was being interviewed by law enforcement.
After the man was apprehended, flight attendants collected passengers’ pillows and blankets, piling the cushions in the back of the plane, according to Charde Houston, an all-star forward for the WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx who was on the flight.
“It was definitely surreal, something you only hear about,” Houston said.
It was not immediately clear what the significance was of the pillows being taken from passengers.
Houston, 24, said that when Tuesday’s flight landed, FBI agents boarded and helped remove the suspect, who was wearing handcuffs.
“He looked extremely calm, like a blank face. No emotion,” Houston said of the man who was removed.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.