Cops Search Plane At LaGuardia Following Threat

[RDU-JFK]

From CBS 2 News:

Cops Search Plane At LaGuardia Following Threat
QUEENS (CBS) ? Police and emergency vehicles were on hand at New York's LaGuardia airport when an American Airlines flight from Chicago landed early Thursday afternoon.

The MD-80, Flight 382 with 117 passengers and five crew members, was towed to a secure area after it landed. After several minutes buses were driven alongside the plane and passengers were able to disembark.

Officials said the plane received some type of bomb threat.

According to American Airlines spokesman Tim Wagner, the flight landed normally at 12:39 EST. The captain did not declare an emergency. An unspecified threat was made about the flight - but the threat was not made directly to American Airlines, instead was conveyed to them after the aircraft landed by the Port Authority. As the plane was taxiing in to the gate, the Port Authority stopped it and had the pilot park it in a remote area.

Live video from Chopper 2 HD showed the passengers being herded to an area between the buses and what appeared to be a concrete retaining wall. Shortly thereafter, it appeared they were allowed to leave on the buses.

Authorities removed all of the luggage from the plane's cargo hold and placed it on the tarmac. At least one Port Authority police officer then walked a bomb-sniffing dog up to each bag so it could check for explosives.

There was no immediate indication that the dog found anything dangerous.

There were no immediate reports of injuries.

The American Airlines Web site indicated Flight 382 left Chicago's O'Hare International Airport at 9:31 a.m. CST and arrived at LaGuardia at 1:28 p.m. EST, nearly 45 minutes late.

(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

[Ari707]

NEW YORK (AP) -- An empty plane was isolated at a section of LaGuardia Airport following a bomb threat on Thursday.

The Port Authority, which runs the airport, said American Airlines Flight 382 from Chicago landed safely and 117 passengers and five crew members were taken off the plane before the search began.

There was no immediate indication that other flights were delayed as a result.

Bomb-sniffing dogs were used for a security sweep, and luggage was matched to passengers as it was removed from the plane. The TSA gave the all clear at around 2:45 p.m.

No injuries were reported.

The call came into a general number at the New York Police Department and was transferred to 911. The caller, who spoke slowly, claimed he had seen information on the Internet that there was a bomb on the flight.

The plane had apparently already landed when the call was received

[cancidas]

i remember this being done to one of my company's airplanes, never a fun sight for any pax. glad nothing happenned...