A Chicago-bound JetBlue flight from Boston was diverted Monday morning after the airline received a call about a possible bomb on board. Nothing was ultimately found and officials said it all stemmed from a domestic disturbance.
A Chicago-bound JetBlue flight from Boston was diverted Monday morning after the airline received a call about a possible bomb on board.
Flight 923 was diverted around 8 a.m. to Buffalo and the plane's 83 passengers were taken off the flight in a secure location, FBI officials said. A female passenger was interviewed and detained.
The plane was checked, along with all bags and passengers, and no explosive device was found. FBI officials said the phone call originated in Boston. The caller was located and interviewed.
"It turned out that this was a domestic dispute," said Steven Lanser, FBI assistant special agent in charge. "There was no threat that was able to be verified."
Passengers aboard Jet Blue Flight 293 said a woman in her late 30s may have been the reason the Chicago-bound plane was diverted and searched by the FBI.
Flyers said she was sobbing and appeared to be ill as the plane was about to leave Boston. The man sitting next to her said he repeatedly asked her if she was alright.
When the plane changed course and lands in Buffalo, that same man said he pointed to all the police gathered on the tarmac and asked her if that was for her. It was, she acknowledged.
Once the plane landed, the passengers were asked to leave behind their cell phones and electronics as they and the jet were searched for any signs of a bomb. None was found.
The flight finally landed in Chicago just after noon. The passengers said everybody on board remained calm. They credit Jet Blue for doing everything it could to make the ordeal less painful.
JetBlue Communications confirmed the flight was diverted and landed safely in Buffalo "where the aircraft was met by local and federal authorities. This is an ongoing investigation."
NFTA Police Chief George Gast said there were no signs of danger to the public.
"This is what we train for and it went according to our plan," Gast said.
An investigation of the incident continues in Buffalo and Boston. The plane has since departed for Chicago.
