Upstate NY airport terminals evacuated after wired box found aboard plane; device harmless

NY terminals evacuated when wired box found on jet

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Syracuse airport officials say hundreds of passengers were evacuated from two terminals after a wired black box was found aboard a Delta regional jet.

Hancock International Airport officials say a pilot doing a preflight check found the box around 5:30 a.m. Friday on a plane that had arrived from Atlanta the night before.

The airport’s north and south terminals were evacuated, causing flight delays for about 600 passengers.

Federal aviation security officials say the wired device with a switch turned out to be a control device for sanding equipment.

Airport officials say operations were back to normal by midmorning.