NEW YORK: A woman who tried to set fire to a plane using a lighter while flying on a jetBlue flight to Puerto Rico has been arrested and faces a jail term of 25 years.
Idializ Gomez had boarded the jetBlue flight 745 at the John F Kennedy International Airport in New York in the early hours of September 6 before going on her arsonist rampage.
Having boarded the aircraft, chaos broke out when the woman grabbed a lighter and successfully set fire to two blankets and an in-flight control panel.
She was arrested by the FBI when the plane landed in the southern coastal town of Pone, at the Mercedita International Airport.
It is unclear why she wanted to set fire to the plane.
The FBI released a statement after the incident, saying she had been arrested and charged with the destruction of aircraft or aircraft facilities.
During the flight, Gomez utilised a lighter to ignite and successfully damage two blankets and a portion of the in- flight control panel of the seat next to hers, the FBI said.
The FBI statement said: "If convicted, the defendant faces up to 25 years' imprisonment.
US federal regulations allow passengers to carry one lighter in their carry-on baggage, media reports said.
Jet Blue Airways has said the incident is under investigation.
The airline said they were currently cooperating with law enforcement.