A flight traveling from Newark, New Jersey, to Los Angeles, California, was reportedly diverted to Chicago, Illinois, after a bomb threat Wednesday morning.
United Airlines Flight 1533 was diverted from Los Angeles International Airport when someone noticed a suspicious note in the bathroom that said the plane would blow up, a police report said, CBS News reported. The plane, holding 202 passengers, landed in Chicago. The passengers were de-boarded, and bomb-sniffing dogs were deployed. The canines reportedly identified one “suspicious” bag, and a robot was used to move it away from the scene. Police questioned the passenger who checked the bag, the outlet reported.
A flight traveling to Los Angeles International Airport was diverted to Chicago after a bomb threat Wednesday morning. https://t.co/kn7X3S9F8y
— CBS News (@CBSNews) February 21, 2024
The aircraft landed at O’Hare Airport at around 7:40 Chicago time.
A passenger aboard the flight allegedly “physically tangled” with crew members and other passengers, according to ABC 7. The incident reportedly occurred as the jet was airborne. The FAA initially classified the incident as a “Level Two” threat. Tensions were heightened when the word “bomb” was found in one of the bathrooms, sources said, the outlet reported.
The plane landed in Chicago where police, fire trucks and ambulances were waiting, ABC 7 reported. (RELATED: Two Dead After Small Plane Attempts Emergency Landing On Highway. Video Shows Fiery Aftermath)
“They are taking us back to a terminal. I guess they will go through bags, maybe question us,” one passenger told CBS 2. “We were forced to leave all of our stuff on the plane and have no idea what is happening next.”
This is a developing story, and the FBI is investigating the incident, CBS reported.