Southwest Flight From LA To Austin Diverted To Phoenix After Bomb Threat
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — A Southwest Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Austin, Texas, made an emergency landing in Phoenix Monday after someone phoned in a bomb threat, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller said the threat was made regarding Flight 2675, which departed from Los Angeles International Airport at 2:12 p.m.
The flight was diverted to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport around 3 p.m. The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) confirmed to CBS2 that two F-16s were utilized to monitor the plane as it landed.
The aircraft was then directed to an isolated area. No devices were located after a thorough inspection.
"The FBI and law enforcement partners are responding...to determine the person/s responsible for the threat," said Eimiller.
Brad Hawkins, a spokesman for Southwest, said, "Out of an abundance of caution, the captain of Southwest Airlines Flight 2675, en route from Los Angeles to Austin, safely landed in Phoenix to look into a possible security threat. The 143 customers are being deplaned via airstairs and we will accommodate them on their way to AUS as soon as possible."
The Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport released a statement on its Facebook page which said, "A Southwest Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Austin has been diverted to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. Law enforcement in Los Angeles requested assistance from Phoenix police in checking out a possible threat. The plane has been isolated and is not parked near the terminal areas. Flights at Sky Harbor are arriving and departing as scheduled."
No other information was released.
