Flight attendant tried to set plane on fire

In a report on how stupid a person could be, especially in this heightened state of tension and worries about terrorism (specifically with relation to aircraft), a flight attendant was angry about his work routine and set fire to paper towels in the aircraft lavatory. He was finally caught, arrested, and fired from his job. Even with all the mercy petitions that he can file and pleas for mercy, he is looking at some jail time:

Court documents said Rojas, of the Twin Cities suburb of Woodbury, told authorities he was upset at the airline for making him work the route. He is accused of taking a lighter with him through the security checkpoint, authorities said. "Rojas further stated that he was preparing his cart to serve the passengers, he set the cart up, went back to the lavatory and reached in with his right hand and lit the paper towels with the lighter," court documents said.
Investigators later found a lighter in one of the overhead bins. Rojas confessed after authorities interviewed him, the complaint said. Compass is a subsidiary of Northwest Airlines, based in Eagan, Minn. Rojas has been fired, said Northwest spokesman Rob Laughlin.

If prosecutors do decide to get tough, Rojas is looking for a long time in the prison, since the maximum sentence for such a crime is 20 years in prison. He will have to get a public defender who can plea-bargain his case.