UC Berkeley Teacher Charged in False Bomb Threat on Airliner

A UC Berkeley literature teacher arrested after a bomb threat forced an American Airlines flight to make an emergency stop was charged Wednesday with making false threats.

U.S. Magistrate Sumner G. Buell released Peter M. Canning, 40, of Berkeley, on his own recognizance after an initial presentment late Wednesday afternoon. Assistant U.S. Atty. Joe Romero did not object.

If convicted, Canning could face a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, Buell said.

Canning, a visiting lecturer at the university, was arrested Tuesday night after the Boeing 767 made the unscheduled landing at Albuquerque International Airport so the airplane could be searched.

Dogs Used to Search Plane

The FBI said Tuesday night that Canning handed a stewardess a note stating that a bomb was aboard Flight 240, bound for Dallas from San Francisco. The airplane, with 198 people aboard, landed and was taken to a remote area of the runway and evacuated. Searchers using bomb-sniffing dogs found no bomb or weapon, authorities said, and the plane resumed its flight to Dallas about 4 1/2 hours after it landed.

Canning’s attorney, Ray Twohig of Albuquerque, said Wednesday that the incident was a mistake.

“This man found a note and gave it to a flight attendant and, because of some confusion on the part of the FBI, this charge was filed,” Twohig said during the court hearing.

Afterward he told reporters: “I expect the case to be dropped within a week.”

FBI agents declined to comment after Wednesday’s proceedings.

Buell set down certain stipulations for Canning’s release. Canning cannot travel outside California or New Mexico, except to travel between the two states. When in California he must stay in Berkeley, San Francisco or Oakland.

He also must report daily to a pretrial agency.

Headed for Convention

A friend of Canning’s, Rhonda Lieberman of California, said Canning had been flying to New Orleans for a convention of the Modern Language Assn.

Dr. Avital Ronell, a colleague of Canning’s, said in a telephone interview from Berkeley that Canning told her over the telephone Tuesday night that the note fell off a flight attendant’s tray and onto his lap.

“He didn’t do it. He handed a note that dropped on his lap from the stewardess’ tray. I spoke to Mr. Canning about half an hour ago,” Ronell said. “The stewardess was walking by, and it dropped on his lap. He didn’t do it, and as a matter of fact, he spoke to the FBI and they seemed to agree that that was the case until another member of their group came in and seemed to arbitrarily want to keep him overnight. . . .

“He’s in this awful predicament of having shown the stewardess something that needed to be shown. He acted as a responsible citizen and then was arrested for doing what was normal and considerate and thoughtful.”