JetBlue Flight 923 from Boston diverted to Buffalo after woman makes false bomb threat call to airline; caller and passenger know each other
A JetBlue flight from Boston to Chicago was diverted to Buffalo today after a woman telephoned the airline and falsely reported that a female passenger had a bomb on board, officials said.
The aircraft touched down in Buffalo around 8:3o a.m. and was sent to a remote part of the airport where bomb-sniffing dogs were called in to examine the baggage of the 86 passengers, said C. Douglas Hartmayer, spokesman for the Niagra Frontier Transportation Authority, which manages the Buffalo airport.
The female passenger was escorted off the plane and questioned by FBI agents, said Hartmayer and Maureen Dempsey, spokeswoman for the Buffalo FBI office.
Working with the FBI in Boston, investigators concluded the bomb threat was bogus and that the two woman were acquainted with each other, said Dempsey.
“There was no truth to the allegation made by the caller initially,’’ Dempsey said, adding “it was a domestic incident. … They know each other.’’
Special Agent Greg Comcowich, spokesman for the Boston FBI office, said agents located and questioned the caller. He said the US attorneys for Massachusetts and Western New York will now decide whether she should face charges.
“It’s not terrorism,’’ Comcowich said. “It appears to be related to a domestic dispute.’’
The passenger was released without being charged, officials said.
According to the Transportation Security Administration, the flight was originally diverted because of a “telephonic bomb threat.’’
The plane had left Boston around 6:35 a.m. FAA spokesman Jim Peters said the agency was notified of the issue by the crew on board Flight 923 around 8:10 a.m.
According to Hartmayer, JetBlue gave the 85 passengers the option of returning to Boston or continuing to Chicago; most chose to go to Chicago, he said. Those heading west left around 11:30 a.m., officials said. The female passenger was not on board that flight, he said.
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