2 Men Jailed After Brawl on Airliner

Two brawling airline passengers allegedly engaged in a drunken food fight and threatened the staff, forcing the pilot to divert the Los Angeles to Seattle flight to San Francisco, where the men were arrested, according to court papers made public Tuesday.

Antonio Lyons, 29, and Dennis Deane, 52, both of Los Angeles, were flying first-class aboard a Northwest Airline flight May 7 when they began fighting. They face federal charges of intimidating a flight crew and interfering with the performance of their duties, a federal crime carrying a penalty of up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Both men have been jailed since the incident because the government is asking the court to hold them without bail until they are tried. A hearing on whether to grant was set for Wednesday.

During the flight, the battle became so heated that Deane allegedly threatened to punch flight Capt. John Davis in the face when he tried to get the men back to their seats, according to the affidavit.

Dennis Brannan, a Northwest pilot traveling on the flight, stepped between Deane and Davis to cool things off.

After Davis returned to the cockpit, Deane then reportedly tried to kick out windows of the plane.

Passenger Daryl Henry told agents that Deane knocked some food on the floor while a flight attendant was attempting to serve a meal. Lyons grabbed Deane and hauled him back to his seat when Deane tried to pick up the food, according to Henry.

Brannan said a short time later the two were rolling on the floor of the first-class section.

Michael Gibson, who was traveling with Lyons and Deane, told the FBI the men had been drinking since 6 a.m. the day of the flight. Gibson is not charged in the case.