Keith Anthony Wright, 50, from New York, took his clothes off while sitting at the back of US Airways Flight 705 from Charlotte to Los Angeles.

He resisted a female flight attendant's efforts to cover him with a blanket, and allegedly punched and kicked her before two off-duty policemen helped subdue and handcuff him.

Dan Jiron, a spokesman for Albuquerque airport, said: "She asked him on more than one occasion to put on his clothes.

"She covered him with a blanket and he took that off."

The aeroplane, carrying about 150 passengers, was diverted to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where Mr Wright remains in custody facing a charge of interference with a flight.

The aircraft diversion was due to an unrelated onboard medical emergency at the same time.

Mr Wright, who says he does not remember anything about the flight or his behaviour, told the FBI he was suffering from bipolar disorder and had not taken his prescribed medication before leaving New York.

Ginny Keegan, who was sitting in the front of the plane, said passengers were told about the ruckus as the plane began to approach Albuquerque, but managed to keep calm.

"No one was really panicking. The flight attendants seemed to handle it very well," she said.

As the plane took off again after about an hour's delay, Ms Keegan said the usual announcement asking passengers to fasten seat belts was amended.

The message included a reminder to everybody to "please keep your clothing on".

"It got a couple of chuckles," Mr Keegan said.

A passenger sitting across from Mr Wright helped restrain him and then snapped a picture with his mobile phone, which he posted the on the Internet with the warning "graphic images."