06 July 2023 , 06:16
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An Alaska Airlines flight was diverted after a passenger allegedly made a bomb threat, according to police.
The flight was heading from Atlanta to Seattle on Wednesday when the pilot was suddenly forced to divert to Spokane after a male passenger allegedly threatened the safety of everyone on board.
The attendant alerted the captain who rerouted the plane to the Spokane International Airport in Washington.
The plane landed at around 5.15pm and the passenger was met with Spokane police and FBI agents who took the suspect into custody.
A bomb squad was reportedly at the airport when the flight touched down.
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A spokesperson for American Airlines said in a statement: “A male guest made a direct threat to the safety of our aircraft to one of our flight attendants.
The FBI met the suspect when the plane touched down (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)“As a precaution, the flight was diverted to Spokane and landed safely at 5:15 p.m. Pacific.
“Consistent with security procedures, local and federal law enforcement were immediately notified and met the aircraft when it arrived."
According to the company, 177 passengers and six crew members were on the flight when the aircraft had to be diverted to Washington.
Although the airline did not specify what kind of threat the man made, Spokane police told local media they received reports about a bomb threat before the plane landed.
The airline said they were grateful for the professionalism of their flight attendants.
They added: "We appreciate their patience and understanding during this situation. We are working to get them to Seattle, their original destination, as quickly as possible.
"We are grateful for the professionalism and care of our flight attendants and pilots throughout this incident."
All passengers were safe and rerouted to another flight to Seattle around 9.30pm, according to airport spokesperson Todd Woodard.
Spokane police, the Transportation Security Administration and the FBI are investigating the incident.
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The abrupt landing comes just a week after a Delta Airlines flight miraculously landed without landing gear.
Passengers onboard the Boeing 717 were told to brace themselves after the aircraft dipped and started ascending again.
The man was taken into custody (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)The jet, which is owned and operated by Delta Air Lines, suffered a malfunction during a flight from Atlanta to Charlotte last Wednesday.
The front landing gear failed to deploy, and the pilots were forced to take matters into their own hands.
According to the airline, the plane landed with its nose gear in the 'up' position, and it came to a safe stop on the runway.
The crew deployed inflatable slides, and the close to 100 people on board disembarked safely without any injuries reported.
Delta said in a statement: "Nothing is more important than the safety of our customers and people. While this is a rare occurrence, Delta flight crews train extensively to safely manage through many scenarios and flight 1092 landed safely without reported injuries."
A passenger on the flight told Channel 9: "The crew told us there was an issue with the landing gear and instructed us to go over safety information.
"We came in low once and then climbed again. Second time had us brace but the landing was smooth. No jarring or even loud noises. We were in the back so that may have been why. Everyone evacuated via slides. No injuries as far as I know. Crew and pilots were wonderful!"