The threat that alerted the police and stopped the flight – just before takeoff

An Alaska Airlines flight departing from Miami International Airport was forced yesterday (Sunday) to delay its takeoff and enter an emergency state. The dramatic incident occurred after the pilot reported "threats" from passengers on board the aircraft while it was taxiing on the runway.

According to released air traffic control recordings, the pilot of Alaska Airlines flight 305, en route from Miami to Seattle, reported a serious disturbance. "We have a customer disturbance on board right now, with threats from customers," the pilot stated, adding: "We want to go into lockdown protocol. We are shutting down the engine, and the parking brake is set." The pilot requested police assistance, and the aircraft was directed to return to the gate.

Miami-Dade police forces arrived at the gate where the aircraft returned. A quick investigation determined that there was no real threat, but out of an abundance of caution, the passengers were deplaned. Two passengers involved in the incident were removed from the flight and rebooked on another. The flight, originally scheduled for 18:29, finally took off around 20:45 after the aircraft was cleared and passengers were allowed to re-board.