Alaska Airlines flight forced to lockdown cockpit over passenger threats

By Diego Mendoza, Alex Stambaugh, CNN

(CNN) — An Alaska Airlines flight leaving from Miami International Airport was forced to delay its departure Sunday evening and enter emergency protocols after “threats” from passengers, according to air traffic control audio reviewed by CNN.

An investigation found there was no credible threat, the sheriff’s office said, according to CNN affiliate WFOR. However, passengers were forced to deplane out of an abundance of caution and the flight was delayed.

Two passengers were removed from the plane, according to WFOR, and were later rebooked on another flight.

In the air traffic control audio, a pilot of Alaska Airlines flight 305, from Miami to Seattle, can be heard telling controllers about a disturbance aboard while taxiing.

“We have set the parking brake, and we have a customer disturbance on board right now, with threats coming from customers,” a pilot can be heard saying, according to air traffic control audio provided by ATC.com.

“We want to go into a lockdown protocol. We are shutting down our engine, and the parking brake is set,” the pilot then said.

A controller responds, “Alright, copy.”

“The flight attendants have received threats from customers on board the aircraft,” the pilot responds.

“Do you need us to contact law enforcement?” the controller says. “Absolutely,” the pilot responds.

The controller then tells pilots to return to the gate, and “we’re going to have law enforcement standing by.”

Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office Airport District deputies responded to the gate where the plane returned, according to WBFS.

CNN has reached out to Alaska Airlines, the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Aviation Administration.

The Miami International Airport directed us to the airline and sheriff’s office.

Once the aircraft was cleared, passengers were permitted to reboard and the flight continued without further incident, it said.

According to Flightradar24, the flight was scheduled to depart at 6:29 p.m. on Sunday night, however it returned to the gate minutes later. It departed at around 8:45 p.m., according to WFOR.

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