Philadelphia ? Federal prosecutors have charged troubled former NFL lineman Alonzo Spellman with terrorizing fellow passengers on a flight, forcing the plane to make an emergency landing.

The 31-year-old Spellman was charged with interfering with a flight crew after the disturbance on a July 23 flight from Cincinnati to Philadelphia, according to a federal complaint unsealed Friday.

Spellman also was arrested later that day for allegedly ransacking his brother’s home in Mount Holly, N.J. There, he was charged with making threats, criminal mischief and hindering apprehension. He was later committed to a psychiatric hospital.

Investigators said the 6-foot-6, 320-pound defensive end terrified passengers, first by yelling about the possibility of a crash, then by cursing, calling a female passenger an offensive name and threatening to smash a flight attendant’s head with his cleats.

The tirade continued throughout the flight, an FBI agent said. One male passenger seated next to Spellman fled to another part of the plane and refused to return.

The plane’s pilot was granted permission to land ahead of schedule at Philadelphia International Airport. Other flights preparing to land were briefly diverted, authorities said.

Once on the ground, Spellman refused to disembark for about 10 minutes and repeatedly threatened the pilot, court records said.

“I can feel the adrenaline rushing through my hands. I am about to rip your throat out,” Spellman told Capt. Robert Freund, according to investigators.

Police initially allowed Spellman to walk free after the flight, but he was arrested after a second disturbance at the home of his brother in Mount Holly, N.J.

Spellman’s lawyer, Judith S. Gracey, declined to comment on the charges Friday.