A United Airlines flight from New Jersey to Vermont sparked a massive emergency response Sunday after a disturbing note was found inside a bathroom.
Flight 3613 took off from Newark Airport at 3:14 p.m. with 65 passengers for a flight to Burlington International Airport, but 20 minutes before landing, the pilot was notified of a threat.
Authorities have not described the nature of the threat, but a passenger on the flight told the outlet that “someone left a note.”
The pilot notified air traffic control and a massive emergency response was launched at the airport, which was closed for several hours after the plane landed about 4:30 p.m. and was taken to an isolated spot on the tarmac.
Responding agencies included the Vermont State Police Bomb Squad, local police, the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI.
Passengers said they were given limited information as they sat on the plane for about two hours before being allowed to get off.
K-9 units were brought aboard around 6:30 p.m. to sweep the cabin, the travelers said.
Once the plane was cleared, they were allowed to leave the aircraft, but without any of their belongings.
One of the 65 people on board was Vermont state Sen. Phil Baruth (D-Chittenden).
Sen. Phil Baruth
“They isolated us with police at both ends and they don’t know whether one of us could be a bad actor so that doesn’t feel great.”
Another passenger, Melissa Jones, told WPTZ: “It was scary. I had to stay calm because of my kids.”
Authorities said no credible threat was discovered and no one has been arrested, though the investigation remains ongoing.