A federal grand jury indicted Turhan Jamar Lamons on a charge of attempting to set fire to and wreck ComAir Airlines Flight 5491 from Atlanta to Huntsville, Ala.
The 50-passenger plane landed at the Rome airport after someone reported smoke coming from the lavatory. No one was injured. Investigators found partly burned newspaper in the restroom.
Officials did not say what led them to suspect Lamons.
Lamons' lawyer, Robert Mack, said he was unaware of the indictment but knew his client was under investigation.
The 23-year-old attendant also is charged with making a bomb threat against an AirTran Airways flight one week after Sept. 11, 2001. The threat resulted in the plane being evacuated and searched.
Lamons, who worked for AirTran at the time, has pleaded innocent, Mack said.
Police said Lamons made the call because his request for a day off had been turned down.
