TAMPA, Fla. — A hearing has been scheduled for a man who is suspected of bringing a box cutter on a plane that was headed for Tampa, according to officials.
William Allen Liebisch, who was traveling as a passenger on a Frontier flight from Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, was identified by other passengers as the man who was allegedly brandishing a large box cutter toward the back of the plane.
RELATED: Passenger found with box cutter after plane headed for Tampa is diverted to Atlanta
A fellow passenger also alleged that Liebisch told them he was going to "stab someone on this plane" during the Nov. 11 flight.
His hearing is scheduled for Friday in Georgia, where the plane was diverted after the weapon was discovered.
Larry Cumberbatch was on board that flight.
"He said he wanted to cut somebody. He’s going to; someone was going to get cut on this plane," Cumberbatch said.
Cumberbatch said the flight crew asked if anyone had any military or police background that would switch seats with the woman next to the suspect.
“I said, 'I'm going to be sitting here now. This is my seat.' And he said, 'Well no, that’s the young lady’s seat,' and I said, 'Not anymore,'" Cumberbatch explained.
TSA said after searching him, a second box cutter was found in his carry-on.
“That’s pretty scary the fact that he can get through any TSA with that. I mean, box cutters don’t seem like they’re scary, but I mean, they are a knife, and they can take it out, and it can be pretty terrifying," traveler Tyler Arnet explained.
"He should’ve never got through... That’s very scary," another traveler, Penney Donohue, added.
TSA said it started an internal review.
According to TSA, passengers across Florida have brought a record number of guns to its checkpoints.
The year-to-date number of 700 guns is already higher than in any previous year. That includes 102 guns at TPA and 17 at St. Pete-Clearwater international. Reportedly, nearly every one of those guns were loaded, and most had ammunition in the chamber.
“As we enter the busiest holiday travel period, remember if you are going to travel with your gun, it must be in your checked bag but be sure you know what the gun laws are on each side of your trip, or you may be heading to jail instead of to your family gathering," TSA spokesperson Sari Koshetz said in a statement.
Things like box cutters, razor blades, and corkscrews with a blade can not be in your carry-on, but they can be in a checked bag.
