Apparent bomb scare delays Spirit Airlines flight for hours

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- A Spirit Airlines flight that was delayed for hours after a report of a possible bomb threat finally landed in Dallas.

CBS Miami reports that a passenger alerted flight attendants after noticing a message on another passenger’s cellphone before the Flight 971 took off Sunday night. It was scheduled to depart Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport at 8:15 p.m. Sunday but was delayed for hours while authorities investigated.

The station quotes passenger Autumn Lynn as saying text messages that read “your bombs are in place” were sent by two passengers on the plane.

Broward County sheriff’s deputies boarded and “ripped” one of the men from his seat and dragged him off the plane, according to CBS Miami. The second man was escorted off the plane.

Lynn posted a Facebook Live video of passengers exiting the plane hours later, after they were told to leave their belongings.

It was checked by investigators and cleared.

Authorities said the plane took off around 2:30 a.m. Monday and landed safely at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.

No further details were immediately available.