Fighter Jets Escort U.S. Plane after Hijack Warning
Two F-15 fighter jets escorted an Alaska Airlines flight into Seattle's main airport Thursday after an anonymous caller told the FBI that a male passenger could be a hijacker, authorities said.
The Boeing 737 was escorted until it landed without incident in Seattle at about 7:00 pm (0300 GMT Friday), the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), which monitors U.S. and Canadian airspace, said in a statement.
An FBI spokesman in Honolulu, Tom Simon, told Agence France Presse that an anonymous caller had informed his office that there could be a hijacker aboard Alaska Airlines Flight 819, which originated in Hawaii's Kona, and identified the man by name.
Flight crew were alerted, and the plane landed "without any drama at all," Simon said.
Local law enforcement and FBI officials removed the unidentified man from the plane for questioning.
Simon could not say whether the man was still in custody late Thursday, and calls to the FBI office in Seattle were not immediately answered.
Source: Agence France Presse
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