Man who caused flight to be unfocused was from Riverview

The father of a young Riverview man who was taken into custody Tuesday afternoon after supposedly telling a flight attendant he had a bomb in his luggage said the situation is a misunderstanding and described his son as a "hardworking, loyal American."

Richard Stansberry hasn't spoke to his son, 26-year-old Derek Stansberry, and said he knew little about what occurred on the Delta Air Lines flight from Paris to Atlanta.

U.S. officials said Derek Stansberry claimed he had explosive in his luggage and a fake passport. However, the passport was later reported to be genuine and no explosives were found, according to federal officials.

The flight from Paris Charles de Gaulle International Airport to Atlanta was deflected to Bangor International Airport.

It landed securely just after 3:30 p.m, there were 235 passengers and 13 crew members aboard Delta Air Lines Flight 273.

The Bangor airport is familiar to dealing with diverted flights.

It's the first large U.S. airport for incoming European flights, and it's the last U.S. airport for outgoing flights, with neat skies and one of the longest runways on the East Coast. Aircraft use the airport when there are mechanical problems, medical emergencies or rowdy passengers.

Delta, based in Atlanta, is the world's major airline and has a joint venture with Air France-KLM on flights across the Atlantic.