No Explosives Found On Diverted Southwest Airlines Flight After Phoned-In Bomb Threat

Passengers likely had a bit of a scare yesterday, after their Southwest Airlines flight from Los Angeles was diverted to Phoenix instead of its Austin destination. The FBI said Monday that the flight had to change course after a “telephonic bomb threat was made.” That’s official speak for “someone called and said a bomb was on the plane.” However, no bombs or explosives have been found on the plane, authorities say. So, whew.

After the flight had left L.A. at 2:12 p.m., the FBI says someone called in a threat, reports the Associated Press. F-16s were scrambled to monitor the flight just as a precaution, and the plane landed safely at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport with its 143 passengers.

Once it landed, all passengers were interviewed by the FBI in an effort to figure out who could’ve called in the bomb threat. The plane was kept isolated on the tarmac, after from the terminals, until it was cleared.

Austin-bound passengers made it onto another flight that arrived early this morning in Austin, said a Southwest spokeswoman, and the diverted plane was eventually restored to service as well.

It’s always better to be safe than sorry, but we can’t help but think it takes some serious cujones to make such a threat in the first place.

No bomb found aboard LA-to-Texas Southwest flight [Associated Press]

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