A United Airlines flight that flew from New Jersey to Vermont on Sunday sparked an emergency response when a threatening note was found in the bathroom of the plane.
Flight 3613 departed from Newark Airport at 3.14pm with 65 passengers aboard on its way to Burlington International Airport.
However, 20 minutes before landing, the pilot was notified of a threat aboard the plane.
Authorities have not let on to the nature of the threat, but a passenger on the flight said that ‘someone left a note.’
The pilot then notified air traffic control and a significant emergency response was launched by law enforcement at the airport, which shut down for several hours after the plane landed at approximately 4.30pm.
The flight from Newark to Burlington was evacuated on Sunday after a threatening note was found aboard the plane mid-flight
The plane was moved to an isolated part of the tarmac, where various agencies including the Vermont State Police Bomb Squad, the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI inspected the plane.
Passengers said they were given limited information as they sat on the plane for about two hours before being allowed off.
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K-9 units were brought aboard the plane around 6.30p, to sweep the cabin.
‘They sniffed up and down the plane and then they sniffed each passenger,’ said Vermont state Senator Phil Baruth, who was one of the 65 passengers.
‘They isolated us with police at both ends and they don’t know whether one of us could be a bad actor so that doesn’t feel great,’ added the Democrat lawmaker.
Once the plane was cleared, passengers were allowed to depart, but without their personal belongings.
Another hour and change later, passengers would be cleared to claim their items.
Authorities eventually determined that no credible threat was discovered. No one was taken into custody either, though the investigation remains ongoing.
‘What we have here is a safe group of people, we have a safe plane, we have a safe airport, we have procedures that were followed, and we have a successful outcome,’ said acting Burlington Police Chief Jon Murad.
‘It feels unfair on one hand that someone left a note and ruined everyone’s day. Obviously someone a little deranged,’ said Baruth. ‘On the other hand, authorities here handled everything perfectly and at no time did I feel unsafe.’
