UC Professor Arrested in Bomb Threat on Jetliner

A University of California literature professor aboard an American Airlines jet was arrested on charges of issuing a bomb threat that forced the Boeing 767 to make an emergency landing at Albuquerque International Airport.

Flight 240 bound for Dallas from San Francisco with 198 people aboard was evacuated on a remote stretch of runway Tuesday, but searchers using bomb-sniffing dogs found no bomb or weapon.

“The initial investigation revealed that a passenger was in possession of a note indicating there were bombs planted on the aircraft,” FBI Agent James W. Nelson said.

“The passenger gave the note to a flight attendant, who relayed the information to the pilot. . . . The FBI, after a lengthy interview of the passenger, took him into custody.”

The suspect was identified as Peter M. Canning, 40, a literature professor at UC Berkeley. A colleague, Avital Ronell, said in a telephone interview from Berkeley that Canning denied the charges over the phone Tuesday night.

“He didn’t do it. He handed a note that dropped on his lap from the stewardess’s tray,” Ronell said. “The stewardess was walking by, and it dropped on his lap.”

Canning’s girlfriend, Rhonda Lieberman, said from Berkeley that he had been flying to New Orleans for a convention of the Modern Language Assn.

“This sounds like a major misunderstanding,” Lieberman said. “It’s an absolute disgrace. I can’t believe they’re doing this to him.”

Canning was taken to the Bernalillo County jail, where he was held for investigation of charges.

If convicted, Canning could face up to five years in jail, a $5,000 fine or both, Nelson said.

American Airlines spokesman Jim Brown said nobody was injured in the incident, and the plane resumed its flight about 4 1/2 hours after it landed.