Flight Diverted from New York to Phoenix After Passengers Act Suspiciously
The US Airways flight took off Tuesday from JFK.
Tuesday, Sep 13, 2011 | Updated 1:58 PM EDT
Wednesday, February 9th 2011
A US Airways flight bound from New York to Phoenix was diverted to St. Louis Tuesday after three passengers acted suspiciously, the Transportation Safety Administration said.
US Airways flight 457 landed at Lambert Airport just before 8 a.m. Tuesday after crew became concerned about the activities of three male passengers.
All 128 passengers were re-screened, the plane was checked and the plane took off for Phoenix a little over two hours later.
Lambert Airport officials say the men were interviewed by federal authorities then released. The airline says it is working to get the three to Phoenix.
Initial reports from a law enforcement official say three passengers were playing a game and speaking in a foreign language.
A phone message left with Phoenix-based US Airways was not immediately returned.
The incident comes amid heightened awareness around the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
On Sunday, fighter jets were scrambled to escort two commercial flights into New York City and Detroit after crews reported suspicious activity.
Bathroom use was also cited in those incidents: On an American Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Kennedy Airport, three passengers made repeated trips to the bathroom; and on a Denver-to-Detroit Frontier Airlines flight, the crew reported two people were spending "an extraordinarily long time" in the bathroom.
The passengers deemed suspicious were cleared in both of those cases.
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