A California city official was physically removed from a Northwest Airlines jet after the plane landed in Los Angeles yesterday. Charles Burke, 54, was taken into custody by Los Angeles police officers after the plane's pilot reported that Burke acted bizarrely on the flight from Minneapolis. In an apparent case of air rage, Burke began to loudly talk to himself in Russian, disturbing other passengers. His odd behavior continued throughout the flight and included Burke removing his clothes and attempting to clean the plane's bathroom. Later, after picking scabs on his arms and legs, Burke requested vodka, which the flight crew denied. He then began to set his bleeding wounds on fire. "Apparently in his mind, he was sterilizing his wounds," LAPD Lt. Bill Hart said.

The pilot notified Los Angeles airport officials before the plane arrived. Upon arrival, paramedics and police officers boarded the plane and removed Burke. He was taken to a mental health facility after he kicked a hole in a wall at the LA police station. Northwest Airlines says that flight crews are trained in handling bizarre behavior and air rage situations.