E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSSThe security scare that resulted in a US Airways jet returning to Philadelphia International Airport on Thursday morning was the result of "a pretty nasty trick played on a passenger," police said. NBC's Pete Williams reports.
Updated at 8:15 p.m. ET: The security scare that resulted in a US Airways jet returning to Philadelphia International Airport on Thursday morning was the result of "a pretty nasty trick played on a passenger," authorities said.
But it appears police had the last laugh.
The man taken off the jet and questioned was the victim of a hoax, apparently performed because Thursday was his birthday, officials said. It's still not clear whether a social media posting was involved. But a telephone call was placed to Philadelphia police, claiming that he was trying to "smuggle" something to Texas.
The US Airways flight en route to Dallas-Fort Worth returned to Philadelphia International after law enforcement officials learned there could be a suspicious item on board. The airline learned of the potential threat from the FBI, US Airways spokesperson Davien Anderson told NBC News.
Flight 1267 took off in Philadelphia and returned shortly before 9 a.m. ET out of an "abundance of caution," Anderson said.
The cost of the hoax will cost US Airways "upwards of tens of thousands of dollars in direct and indirect costs," the airline said. Sixty-nine passengers were on the Airbus A319, and were being rebooked on other flights.
When the man at the center of the hoax got to Dallas late Thursday, he was arrested by local police.
He was wanted on several existing warrants in Texas for offenses having nothing to do with the hoax. When he became famous Thursday because of the plane hoax, and police in Texas discovered he was coming their way, they prepared to meet him at the airport and take him into custody on unfinished business.
Federal officials were not certain of the nature of the existing warrants.
A US Airways flight bound for Dallas-Fort Worth returned to Philadelphia International Airport following a security alert. NBCNews.com's Dara Brown reports.
NBC News' justice correspondent Pete Williams contributed to this report.
More content from NBCNews.com:
- 4 dead after school bus collides with semi-truck in Nebraska
- Michelle Rhee: How Obama -- or Romney -- should change education
- Four Marines accused of beating man in possible gay hate crime
- Kidnappers attach device to woman in bank robbery attempt, police say
- 500 firefighters battle blaze in California wilderness
- Video: Calif. officer crashes into home, suspected of DUI
Follow US News from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook
Leave a Comment:
Most people don't care about Philadelphia. If this exact same story applied to, say, New York or Los Angeles, there would be a big red banner running across the top of all the major news sites.
I am sure the FBI will do all they can to find out who placed that call. That is not funny at all. I am sure US Airways will be asking that person for some compensation.
I would not want friends as stupid as this. A birthday hoax, haha? Who would be dumb enough to ever think this would be considered funny? Thirty years ago, maybe...but, probably not even then. The way airline security is today one would have to know the extreme disruption and cost, not only to the individual, but other passengers and the airline, a stunt like this would cause.
No one needs friends like this.
If I had it my way the joke would be on the person who called in the birthday "joke" they would get about 10 years to think about just how funny the hoax was.
Only one other person referred to the "birthday boy" and "friends" with a sick sense of humor playing a hoax. Everyone stop talking and reread the article.
Just a hoax like the underwear bomber.
Throw the instigator in federal prison for about five years. Cretin.
I live in the Philly area, and according to our noon news the call was indeed a hoax, supposedly perpetrated by an ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend to screw with the poor guy on the plane. Hope they can prove it and nail them to the wall!
Someone will pay the Airline for associated costs. Pretty expensive prank. I too live near Philly and the perpetrator will be apprehended! They don't take these things lightly anymore no matter what airport you fly out of.
Thank God I'm retired from flying!!!!!
What can you say? You can't fix stupid.
This is how terrorists play. They get us numb to "pranks" like this, then when something really is onboard we think someone is crying wolf.
Yes, this is how Al Qaeda works. It's on page 52 of their official handbook. It has drawings, too which help explain it even further
Wow- wouldn't wanta be that guy!
lol hahaha, boy they sure got him good! hahhahaha. fun times
ohohohoh.....SOMEONE'S in trouble!
Someone has been scratched from the Christmas Card List!!
The hoaxer should spend the rest of his life in federal prison. This joke was not a joke! It wasn't funny in the least.
The passengers and crew on this flight, even the birthday boy, I'm sure experienced unnecessary fear and stress and the airlines experienced a financial mess.
I would rather have my flight delayed or diverted than take the risk but it shouldn't be because of some brainless a$$hole trying to embarrass a friend.
Now then. Lets find out who is responsible for the hoax and see how funny they think it is when the FBI gets done with them. Charges will apply
Hoax of the decade: Iraq has WsMD, " we know where they are. " -Rumsfeld
Most everything the US gov't states is a lie from the Gulf of Tonkin to the Soviet Union to Iraq and Afghanistan I and II. See the pattern of huge criminal hoaxes? It's an excuse to kill people or force submission.
Just remember the definition of the verb "to suspect" is "to believe without proof".
Whoever made the prank will not be a happy camper when the authorities catch up to him. Besides paying the airline for their losses, this person might end up spending some time in the cooler, so the joke might be on him!!!
If I was one of the other passengers, I would be pissed over the delay. Taint funny McGee! All involved should be arrested and required to reimbure lost time. additional airline costs (however inflated) and thenjailed for pure stupidity. Too much of this kind of crap going on. A true prank usually is pointed to one person with one or more behind it. The affect the others is no longer a prank but becomes maliciaous mischief. How come a false report like this isnt covered in the homeland security act? Helllooo Cuba!
What do you do if your are victim of such a "prank"? Do you have a police arrest record? With the internet anyone could conceivably do the same thing to someone they didn't like. This opens up a whole new bag of worms for everyone. Hopefully they wil lfind out who is responsible and throw the book at them.
This is stupid. I wish reporters would quit plagiarizing other reporters. This story stinks. It does not give alot of details. It had a picture and one would thought that the story continued below it, but nothing. This story wasn't even worth putting out there. maybe the report can cough up all the money the airline is out of.
Thanks for sharing Tao! LMAO There are many among us who don't walk around thinking what color anyone is, including ourselves. Too bad for people who are so locked up in this color thing.
If it was a hoax i hope the punster is prepared for the repercussions when caught and they will be caught.
Can you spell Stuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuupid
yeah, don't care