The situation on board United Airlines Flight 3613 to Vermont spiraled out of control after a passenger discovered a bomb threat note in the plane’s bathroom. According to reports, the incident occurred on Sunday, March 12 just before the plane was supposed to land.
FlightAware shows that on Sunday, the plane took off from Newark, New Jersey and landed at the Burlington International Airport at 4:30 pm.
Director of Aviation at Burlington International Airport, Nic Longo, told reporters at a press conference that the flight crew reported a possible bomb threat to air traffic control about 20 minutes before the plane was supposed to land.
The authorities did not specify what kind of threat was made, but they did say that the pilot said someone found a note in the plane’s toilet.
The pilot was heard, in audio obtained by reporters from a local news station, claiming that a flight attendant had informed him that a passenger had discovered a note claiming that a bomb was hidden on board.
Emergency procedures were immediately activated by air traffic controllers. When the aircraft touched down, it was redirected to a spot far from the other parked planes, and the police sprang into action.
The bomb squad from the Vermont State Police was called to assist local authorities, according to a statement released by the Vermont State Police on Sunday.
The authorities thoroughly searched the plane and all of the passengers’ luggage, but they found nothing suspicious. At around 7 pm, officials reportedly briefed all 65 passengers about the bomb threat before allowing them to disembark.
All passengers were safely transported to the terminal, where they were able to retrieve their belongings.
The airport was closed during the incident and did not reopen until after the episode had concluded, at around 7:30 p.m.
The Federal Aviation Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Vermont State Police, and the South Burlington Police Department all responded to the scene.
Republic Airways, the airline that ran the flight, expressed gratitude to the emergency personnel who responded quickly and to the passengers who remained calm throughout the ordeal.