Flight diverted to NY airport after man exposed himself, urinated in aisle: officials

BUFFALO, NY - A flight to Manchester, New Hampshire, was diverted to Buffalo, NY, after a man allegedly exposed himself and urinated in the aisle of the airplane, officials said.

The 25-year-old Oregon man was arrested and charged on Wednesday with indecent exposure after the flight landed at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport. He was released after making an initial appearance in federal court in Buffalo, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York. 

The American Eagle flight departed from Buffalo shortly after the incident, according to an emailed statement from American Airlines. "We thank our team members for their professionalism and our customers for their understanding," read the statement.

The man told officers he was flying from Portland, Oregon, to Manchester and had several whiskey and colas before boarding the flight, and then more of them during a layover in Chicago and after boarding there. He said he got up to use the restroom and was coming back to his seat, but he has a medical urination problem, according to the criminal complaint.

An email seeking comment was sent to his federal public defender.

Meanwhile, a Delta flight from Detroit to Amsterdam was also diverted to JFK Airport in NYC after passengers were served spoiled food, airline officials said.

The red-eye flight took off from Detroit on Tuesday around 11 p.m. and landed in New York on Wednesday at 4 a.m., "after reports that a portion of the Main Cabin in-flight meal service were spoiled," a Delta spokesperson said in a statement.

According to the FDNY, emergency medical responders met the flight and treated 12 passengers.

It was not clear how many of the flight's 277 passengers ate the spoiled food. Delta said it would investigate.

"This is not the service Delta is known for, and we sincerely apologize to our customers for the inconvenience and delay in their travels," the Delta spokesperson said.

The Associated Press wire services helped contribute to this report.