A US Airways flight headed from Paris to Charlotte, N.C. took a detour to Maine after what an airline described as a "security issue." A mentally unstable French passenger announced that she had a surgically implanted device, causing quite a scare on the flight.
The French citizen, born in Cameroon, made her case even more suspicious because she did not check any baggage. However, she is not a known or suspected terrorist and had plans to stay in the country for ten days.
The woman reportedly passed a note to a flight attendant saying she had an explosive device surgically implanted in her. Passengers then held the passenger down while two doctors summoned by the pilot checked her for scars. No scars were found.
Flight 787, a Boeing 767 containing 179 passengers and nine crew members was directed Bangor International airport, about 917 miles from Charlotte. The plane landed around noon, said US Airways spokesman Andrew Christie.
The North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD called two F-15 fighter jets to escort the jetliner to the ground. The plane was met by state, local and federal law enforcement officers.
The passenger was in custody and the flight was cleared to resume to Charlotte several hours later, one of the officials said. The Transportation Security Administration issued a statement saying it was aware of "a passenger who exhibited suspicious behavior" during the flight.
Bangor International Airport is a common landing spot for diverted flights. The airport, containing one of the largest runways on the East Coast is the first largest airport for incoming flights from Europe and the last U.S. airport for outgoing flights. Aircrafts make stops at this airport when there are mechanical problems, medical emergencies or unruly passengers.
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