A United Airlines plane traveling to Los Angeles International Airport was forced to make an emergency landing at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago on Wednesday morning because of a bomb threat.
The anonymous note was found written on a mirror in one of the bathrooms on United Flight 1533 and threatened that the plane would explode. All 202 passengers were safely evacuated from the plane, according to a report by CBS News, and law enforcement officials searched the plane at a remote location at the Chicago airport.
The CBS News report said that a bomb-sniffing K-9 identified a suspicious bag during the search. The passenger who checked the bag is being questioned by police.
"United flight 1533 diverted to Chicago this morning due to a potential security concern. The flight landed safely and met local law enforcement upon arrival. Customers deplaned and we expect the flight to depart for Los Angeles later this afternoon," United told Newsweek in a statement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) also is investigating the incident.
"Early this morning, FBI-Chicago and local partners responded to an incident with an aircraft at O'Hare Airport. There is no indication that there is an imminent threat to public safety or the facility itself at this time," an FBI spokesperson told Newsweek.
Prior to the bomb threat's discovery, a passenger physically wrestled with crew members and other people on the flight, ABC7 reported.
The plane landed in Chicago at 7:44 a.m. local time, nearly two hours after it had departed from Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey.
One passenger told CBS News that plane staff announced that the plane would be making an emergency landing in Chicago, but wouldn't give a reason why.
"We couldn't get out of our seats so when they landed they said that someone had written on the mirror in one of the bathrooms that there was a bomb," the passenger said.
Another passenger said that they were being directed back to a terminal but that they had to leave all of their belongings on the plane, adding that they "have no idea what is happening next."
The flight to Los Angeles was rescheduled for noon Chicago time, CBS News reported.
The incident comes only one day after an American Airlines plane was forced to make an unscheduled landing on Tuesday night after a man attempted to open an emergency exit while the plane was in flight.
The flight was on its way to Chicago from Albuquerque, New Mexico, when it had to turn back "shortly after takeoff due to a disturbance in the cabin involving a disruptive customer," a spokesperson told Newsweek in an emailed statement on Tuesday night.
The American Airlines plane landed safely and "was met by local law enforcement upon its return to Albuquerque's airport. The FBI also is investigating that incident.
Passengers quickly restrained the suspect until the plane landed.
Update 02/21/2024, 1:38 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information and comment.
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