Traverse City Record-Eagle

Disturbance on Flight

January 15, 2010

12:50 pm: Misunderstanding on flight?

By ALEX PIAZZA

Report from the AP

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) -- A government official says a man was arrested at a northern Michigan airport after making a bomb threat on a commercial flight.

No bomb was found. The official says the man was taken off the plane at the Traverse City, Mich., airport on Friday after making the threat. The official wasn't authorized to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

The Transportation Security Administration says the passenger entered the bathroom as the Skywest Airlines flight from Chicago as it was approaching the Cherry Capital Airport. The TSA says the passenger is currently being questioned and the airport temporarily suspended operations.

Charlotte Crosby of Traverse City says her husband was on the plane. He called her on his cell phone to say he and other passengers were being questioned.

TRAVERSE CITY — Bob Crosby's quick flight home from Chicago turned out to be an adventure he won't soon forget.

Crosby, a Traverse City resident and retired AT&T employee, sat next to a man on a United Express flight this morning who allegedly created a disturbance that temporarily closed the airport and prompted authorities to surround the plane and arrest Crosby's bearded young seatmate.

Crosby said the incident apparently was prompted by the suspect's 15-minute stay in the plane's restroom about halfway between Chicago and Traverse City.

Crosby said his seatmate appeared to be his early 20s, reportedly was from California, and said nothing to him but "Hey, I'm going to move over there" to an adjacent seat."

Authorities entered the plan when it landed in Traverse City and a police officer told the suspect to stand. He led the suspect off the plane and an officer then told passengers "Everybody on your feet and off the airplane."

The Associated Press quoted an unnamed source as saying a suspect was arrested for making a bomb threat, but flight passenger David Boyer, a Chicago resident who has a house in Acme Township, called the incident a "colossal misunderstanding."

"He did nothing more than flying while Arabic," Boyer said of the suspect.

Boyer said the suspect sat in the commuter plane's third row, while he sat in the 10th row.

"He just went to the bathroom," Boyer said of the suspect.

The flight had 11 passengers and a crew, Boyer said.

Authorities scheduled a 1 p.m. news conference to discuss the disturbance.

Flights to and from Cherry Capital resumed before noon.

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