Teen Accused of Using Lighter on Shoe as Plane Arrived at Pittsburgh Airport
A 17-year-old Canadian passenger on a US Airways flight from Toronto has been arrested for allegedly using a lighter on his shoe, officials said.
The teen told police he was burning loose material off his tennis shoes as the plane taxied into Pittsburgh International Airport on Saturday. The boy’s father was seated next to him.
Authorities said the teen would not be identified because of his age. He was cited for disorderly conduct and released into the custody of his father, police said.
Federal authorities interviewed the boy and his father after a flight attendant found the boy flicking a butane lighter and took it away from him, police said.
Police said the boy and his father were connecting in Pittsburgh on a flight to California, but US Airways asked them to make other travel arrangements.
In another incident, FBI agents arrested a man early Sunday for allegedly trying to pass through a security checkpoint at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport with razor blades in his shoes.
The man had set off a metal detector Saturday night and when asked to remove his shoes at least four razor blades fell out, said airport spokeswoman Clare Impett.
Impett had no information on the man’s identity or which airline he was planning to board.
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