Threat diverts flight to Dulles
Posted: Sat Jan 10, 2004 2:48 pm
CHANTILLY, Va. — The FBI took one passenger into custody Saturday after an American Airlines commuter flight was diverted to Washington's Dulles International Airport (search) because of a security threat.
Flight 4959, operated by American Eagle (search) and carrying 19 passengers and a crew of five, left New York's LaGuardia Airport at 10:57 a.m. bound for Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (search). It landed at about noon at Dulles, which is 33 miles away.
The FBI detained one passenger after questioning the 23 others on the flight, said Tara Hamilton, spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (search).
She referred questions about the threat to the FBI. Calls to the FBI were not immediately returned Saturday.
An American Airlines spokeswoman, Lisa Bailey, said that upon approach to National Airport, a threat was made against the plane and the crew decided to divert to the other Washington area airport.
Airport police and security dogs were checking all luggage from the fight and conducting a sweep of the plane, Hamilton.
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The aircaft was most likely an EMB-145...a crash most likely would cause minimal damage. Probably just another case of "air rage," but its good to know that the passenger was arrested.
Flight 4959, operated by American Eagle (search) and carrying 19 passengers and a crew of five, left New York's LaGuardia Airport at 10:57 a.m. bound for Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (search). It landed at about noon at Dulles, which is 33 miles away.
The FBI detained one passenger after questioning the 23 others on the flight, said Tara Hamilton, spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (search).
She referred questions about the threat to the FBI. Calls to the FBI were not immediately returned Saturday.
An American Airlines spokeswoman, Lisa Bailey, said that upon approach to National Airport, a threat was made against the plane and the crew decided to divert to the other Washington area airport.
Airport police and security dogs were checking all luggage from the fight and conducting a sweep of the plane, Hamilton.
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The aircaft was most likely an EMB-145...a crash most likely would cause minimal damage. Probably just another case of "air rage," but its good to know that the passenger was arrested.
, and threatened airline personnel; mentioning the word "grenade" on an aircraft or in the gate area is like stupid.