Ali Reza Shahsavari faced a court appearance Tuesday in Amarillo on a charge of interfering with a flight crew. Investigators say he prompted the crew of the Los Angeles-to-Kansas City, Mo., flight to make an emergency landing in Amarillo on Oct. 18.
The indictment says the 29-year-old Indialantic, Fla., man became disruptive and intimidated crew members by screaming profanities and damaging a lavatory.
Attorney Jeff Blackburn says Shahsavari had a nervous breakdown while en route to Florida for mental health treatment, calling it "a tragic case of a poor young guy who is mentally ill."
