Bogus Bomb Threat Leads to Overnight Flight Delay at John Wayne Airport
The plane was scheduled to depart from John Wayne Airport to Phoenix
Vikki Vargas, Lori Bentley
Authorities did not find any suspicious devices on a Southwest plane that was isolated at John Wayne Airport in Orange County Tuesday night, according to initial reports. Vikki Vargas reports for NBC4 News at 11 p.m. on May 8, 2012.
Passengers aboard a Southwest plane that was isolated at John Wayne Airport Tuesday night because of a false bomb threat departed Wednesday morning after an overnight delay.
The FBI is investigating the false threat, which came in as Southwest flight 811 was preparing to depart Tuesday night. The "non-specific" threat was called in to Phoenix authorities, said Jenny Wedge, spokeswoman for John Wayne Airport.
Due to a curfew that bars planes from taking off after 11 p.m., the plane departed at about 6:45 a.m. Passengers were transported to a hotel to wait out the overnight delay.
The call came in around 8:30 p.m. as the plane was taxiing for take off, said Lt. Joe Balicki with OC Sheriff's Department.
The plane was moved to the isolation area and passengers were led off the plane while authorities investigated, he said. Within two hours the plane was taxiing back to the gate.
No other flights at John Wayne Airport were affected, but a Southwest flight in Phoenix was similary isolated.
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