An active-duty member of the U.S. Navy told a Hawaiian Airlines flight attendant Tuesday morning that a passenger seated next to him had a bomb on the plane they had just boarded, prompting the evacuation of the aircraft just before its scheduled departure from the San Diego International Airport, officials said.
A search of the plane turned up nothing suspicious and the flight took off for Honolulu about five hours after its originally scheduled departure.
The Port of San Diego Harbor Police Department identified the suspect Tuesday evening as a 35-year-old member of the Navy. Harbor Police officials said he was arrested on suspicion of making a false bomb threat, which is a misdemeanor, and violating a San Diego County Regional Airport Authority code of making a false report of a security threat.
“During pushback from the gate, a guest was overheard making a threat to the safety of our aircraft,” a Hawaiian Airlines spokesperson said in a statement. “As a precaution, the captain immediately taxied the Airbus A330 to a safe location on the airfield, where it was met with local and federal law enforcement, and guests were safely deplaned.”
There were 283 passengers and 10 crew members on board Hawaiian Airlines Flight 15 from San Diego to Honolulu, which was scheduled to take off at 8:28 a.m., according to Flightaware.com.
The passengers were eventually reboarded, and the flight departed around 2:15 p.m., an airline spokesperson said.
“We appreciate their understanding during this situation and apologize for any concern this may have caused,” the airline said. “We are grateful for the professionalism and care of our flight attendants and pilots throughout this event.”
Harbor Police dispatchers were called about the alleged bomb threat by the plane’s captain shortly after 8:45 a.m.
“The suspect was onboard Hawaiian Airlines flight 15 when he told a flight attendant the passenger next to him had a bomb,” the Harbor Police Department said in a statement. “The flight attendant informed the captain of the plane about the potential threat as the flight was pulling away from the jetway and getting ready to depart.”
A Harbor police SWAT team and canine teams were sent to the scene, along with members of a Joint Terrorism Task Force, the FBI and the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department. They searched the aircraft and its contents, and nothing suspicious was found, the statement said.
“There is no threat to the public or travelers, and operations at San Diego International Airport are normal,” the statement said.
Online jail records did not show the suspect in custody Tuesday evening.
The investigation into the incident is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to call Harbor Police at 619-686-6272.
Staff reporter Alex Riggins contributed to this report.
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