Passenger’s apparent joke about bomb in luggage delays Seattle-Redmond flight; everyone removed for search

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) A late-arriving Seattle flight passenger's apparent joke about having a bomb in his carry-on luggage was taken very seriously by Alaska Airlines and authorities Wednesday, leading to police questioning, the removal of all passengers and a departure delayed by about 90 minutes.

Laurie Mailloux of Vashon Island, Wash., was a passenger on Alaska Flight 2230 who was traveling to visit close friends in Bend. She kept them posted by text about what was happening and spoke with KTVZ News after her arrival.

Mailloux said the man was a passenger one row in front of her, who "came in a little late" was struggling to get his baggage stored in the overhead bin.

"He pulled a tennis racket out of his bags and said, 'I finally got the bomb in,'" Mailloux recalled hearing.

A flight attendant heard the comment and began talking to the man. Police arrived quickly and removed the passenger and his carry-on items, she said.

"Sniffer dogs came on" the plane, Mailloux said.

Soon, the pilot came on the speaker and apologized, saying that everyone would have to get off the plane with their luggage as well. Mailloux said they first were taken back to the boarding area, but then were moved to another part of the airport for a time.

After they got off the plane, as authorities were talking to the man, she heard him tell them: "Oh, by the way: I've got firearms in my suitcase."

Mailloux said she wasn't scared by the turn of events, but agreed that it was not funny.

She also had only praise for the authorities and staff involved, saying: "All in all, everything was fast and efficient."

“I mean, I didn't want to be delayed an hour and a half, but they did such a good job, I felt comfortable, Mailloux said. "And, you know, it's good to know that they're on top of it.“

Perry Cooper, public information officer with Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, told KING 5 News that the FBI and the King County Prosecutor's Office will be reviewing the incident to determine if charges will be filed. Perry also confirmed that the unfounded comment was regarding an explosive on the aircraft.

Here's the Alaska Airlines statement on the incident:

There was a security incident this afternoon involving Alaska Airlines Flight 2030 operated by Horizon Air, from Seattle (SEA) to Redmond (RDM). During the boarding process, a passenger made an inappropriate comment to one of our flight attendants related to the safety of our aircraft. Out of an abundance of caution, guests deplaned, port security met the inciting guest at the gate, and a security sweep was performed. Once the aircraft was deemed safe, the flight continued on with a delay of an hour and twenty minutes.  

Following the exit of the removed guest and his traveling companion, there were 69 passengers and 4 crew members on board. We appreciate our guests' patience and understanding during this situation, and we are grateful for the professionalism of our flight attendants and pilots throughout this incident.