Man charged in bomb threat that diverted plane to Detroit Metro Airport

Max Reinhart, The Detroit News on Mar 31, 2026

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DETROIT — Federal authorities have filed a criminal charge against an airline passenger who allegedly made a bomb threat, forcing a New York to Chicago flight to make an emergency landing at Detroit Metro Airport.

Jason Douglas Pazol was aboard American Airlines Flight 2819 on Sunday, the FBI alleged in a complaint filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Detroit, when, during the flight, he "threatened to blow up AA2819," the complaint states.

Pazol told investigators he was "having problems with his medication" and made the threat because he "had racing thoughts and had a breakdown on the plane," the complaint states. Pazol also said he felt his fellow passengers were not safe around him, so he made the threat to force a landing.

He allegedly made several profanity-laden threats, including "if someone even (gets) near me, I swear to god, I am going to do something terrible," and "I will blow this f---ing plane up," the FBI alleged in its complaint.

The crew made an emergency landing at DTW in Romulus, where passengers were removed from the aircraft and re-screened by Transportation Security Administration workers. The jet was taken to an isolated area where it was checked for explosives, according to the complaint.

The flight had departed John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City at 8:59 a.m., according to flightstats.com. Around 3 p.m., a Wayne County Airport Authority spokesperson said the scene would "likely clear soon."

There were no reported injuries and no explosives were found.

The flight was canceled after being diverted to DTW and each of the approximately 150 passengers had to find new routes of travel, the FBI alleged. The bomb threat also tied up law enforcement, as well as staff from American Airlines and the airport authority.

After authorities determined he was unarmed, Pazol was taken to a hospital for an evaluation, court documents show. Further information about the suspect, including his age and city of residence, wasn't immediately available.

At the federal level, making a false report is generally punishable by up to five years in prison.

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