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A Hawaiian Airlines plane was surrounded by authorities just before it was set to take off at a San Diego airport following a reported threat made by a passenger on Tuesday morning.
Emergency vehicles encircled the aircraft headed for Honolulu, while law enforcement officers removed a man from Hawaiian Airlines Flight 15 at San Diego International Airport at approximately 8:30 a.m. local time, according to a passenger who spoke with KUSI.
Isai Solorzano, a Navy sailor on the flight, recounted the incident: “One guy stood up, they immediately told him to turn around and put him in handcuffs. They took him away.”
Footage provided by another flyer to the station showed the person being led off the plane in handcuffs.
San Diego Harbor Police confirmed to KUSI that there was a bomb threat against the plane as it detached from the jetway. A flight attendant told the captain after a passenger reported a possible bomb was aboard.
“During pushback from the gate, a guest was overheard making a threat to the safety of our aircraft,” a Hawaiian Airlines spokesperson told The Post.
“As a precaution, the captain immediately taxied the Airbus A330 to a safe location on the airfield, where it was met with local and federal law enforcement and guests were safely deplaned.”
Following a search of the aircraft, it was cleared by law enforcement, and the passengers got back on the plane and took off about five hours later, the airline said.
The FBI said it can’t disclose more information because the probe is ongoing.
“We continue to urge the public to remain vigilant and report all suspicious activity to law enforcement immediately,” an FBI spokesperson said in an email.