A flight from Orlando, Florida heading to Providence, Rhode Island was forced to make an emergency landing on Tuesday night after passengers reported a man using the word “bomb.”
Breeze Airways Flight 717 diverted to Jacksonville, Florida just 45 minutes after takeoff when a couple in an argument reportedly used the word “bomb,” passenger Rachel Corrigan toldWJXT 4. Once those surrounding the couple heard the remarks, passengers became alarmed.
“A dad and his daughter got up and they walked back and said, ‘We asked to get moved because someone was talking about a bomb that they had,’” passenger Tanya Mcginnn also told the local outlet.
A passenger being arrested for allegedly making a fake bomb threat.TJ Monjay/ Instagram
TJ Monjay/ Instagram
“Words that are not supposed to be uttered were said multiple times,” he said over the intercom. “So we have extensive procedures that we have to follow in our manuals, in our dispatch, in what we call our operational control center.”
Police officers on the plane.TJ Monjay
TJ Monjay
He later added: “Right now, because of terminology that was used, the FBI is also being included in this.”
Stunned passengers had to remain on the plane whilelaw enforcement arrestedthe man.
As he was being handcuffed, the man who reportedly said “bomb” offered an apology.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I apologize for messing up your travel plans,” he said.
Police with a dog on the plane.TJ Monjay
Later, police dogs and investigators arrived on board to get more details about the situation, according to the pilot.
“Even if the aircraft was safe, they don’t allow us to fly,” the pilot revealed as passengers found out the plane was not going to arrive in Providence that night.
“I understand that this is less than ideal,” he added. “Unfortunately some people decided to misbehave and really mess up the evening for all of us.”
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A passenger told PEOPLE that the amount was “kind of low but it wasn’t really their [the airline’s] fault," so they understood.
The flight, which was supposed to arrive in Providence at 8 p.m. EST, was rescheduled to leave on Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. from Jacksonville International Airport.
“Breeze flight #717 from Orlando, FL to Providence, RI was diverted last evening to Jacksonville, FL after an argument escalated between two Guests onboard resulting in a perceived security threat. Local law enforcement met the plane and safely deplaned all Guests and Breeze Team Members,” Breeze Airways said in a statement to PEOPLE.
“Safety is our top priority and we take threats of any kind very seriously. We are committed to assisting law enforcement with the investigation into this incident,” the statement continued. “Breeze provided overnight accommodations for all impacted Guests, before the continuation of the flight today. They arrived at their destination in Providence this afternoon.”
source: people.com
