SEATAC, Wash. - An Alaska Airlines flight headed to Seattle from Miami experienced a two-hour delay on Sunday after a "customer disturbance" involving threats was reported by the airline.
The reports prompted a law enforcement response and investigation, which quickly determined that the threats were not credible.
Passengers were temporarily removed from the flight, but the airline says they were able to return, and the flight continued its journey to Seattle upon the investigation's completion.
What they're saying:
In a statement, Alaska Airlines said that two guests aboard Flight 305 from Miami International Airport to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport were "disruptive during the aircraft's taxi."
In audio posted to ATC.com, the flight's pilot says, "The flight attendants have received threats from customers on board the aircraft."
When the controller asks if law enforcement needs to be contacted, the pilot says, "Absolutely."
The pilot then explains that they heard from a flight attendant that there was a "customer threat to take the aircraft."
One reporter said on social media that he learned the original complaint came from a passenger who saw two people in front of him exchanging text messages, with one message reading, "I'm taking everyone down."
However, they continue to say that an investigation by the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office quickly revealed that the text messages were about something "completely different," and found no credible threat.
Passengers who were removed were then allowed to return to the plane, and the guests who were originally removed were rebooked on another flight to Seattle.
"The safety of our guests and crew is always our highest priority. We appreciate our employees' professionalism and apologize to our guests for the delay and inconvenience," Alaska Airlines said.
Reports state that the flight departed Miami International Airport around 8:45 p.m., a little over two hours after its originally scheduled 6:29 departure.
The Source: Information for this story came from Alaska Airlines, X (formerly known as Twitter), and local media outlets in Florida.