NC man who tried to open plane door faces Mass. judge

BOSTON (AP) — A North Carolina man who authorities say became disoriented and tried to open a cabin door on a US Airways Express commuter jet from Maine to Philadelphia has been released on $500 bail at his arraignment.

Prosecutors had requested $1,500 bail at the arraignment Friday of 40-year-old Michael J. Ensalaco, of Mooresville.

Massachusetts State Police held Ensalaco overnight on a charge of interfering with a flight crew after the pilot diverted the flight to Boston on Thursday.

His lawyer said at the arraignment in East Boston District Court that his client suffers from a neurological disorder that causes disassociation and confusion. The lawyer says he expects charges to eventually be dropped because of the medical condition.

Friends and family members say Ensalaco is a married father of five.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)