EVANGELIST'S WIFE GOES BONKERS ON PLANE

Joel Osteen is pastor of Lakewood Church, a megahouse of worship in Houston. His wife, Victoria, has a prominent place in the ministry. She also seems to have a problem with authority.

Continental's authority, to focus the issue. According to media reports from Texas and Colorado, the Osteen family was headed for a ski vacation in Colorado this week when things went awry. According to KTRK in Houston:

According to passenger accounts, the Osteens were sitting in first class. Soon after the plane's door was closed, the FBI says Victoria Osteen was removed following what Continental would call only a disturbance. The Osteens' spokesman confirms it involved a flight attendant, but that's all. However, one passenger tells Eyewitness News she was alerted to the front of the plane when she heard a commotion.

"She violently ran towards the cockpit, scaring everyone around her," said passenger Knicky Van Slyke. "Everyone was terrified about what was going on. And a bunch of flight attendants ran up and had to restrain her. She was banging on the door."

"Of the cockpit?" we asked.

"Yes."

Passengers say Victoria was removed first. Joel and the children followed. Meantime, everyone waited.

"They unloaded all the luggage to get their luggage and deplaned her, Joel, and the kids," said passenger Dawn Dixon.

Their trip was delayed and so was the entire flight by almost two hours. Fellow passengers blame the popular Osteens, specifically Joel's wife, Victoria.

The Vail Daily's report spills a little more light on why Victoria Osteen went off:

A couple of first-class passengers saw at least part of what happened.

"As I understand it, she had some drink spill. That started a series of issues with the crew," passenger Herbert Towning said.

"Mr. Osteen was very calm, very professional," passenger Barbara Griffith said. "It's sad."

Another passenger, who didn't want to give her name, agreed with Griffith's account.

"She just had attitude," the unnamed passenger said of Victoria Osteen. "They took her off, and she never came back. Her husband went out, then he came back and got their stuff. An hour-and-a-half later, we were leaving."

This time, no one was shot to death by federal air marshals. In fact, the Transportation Security Administration says air marshals never got involved. And the Osteens? They took a later flight to Colorado.