Law enforcement: Airline threat that stopped NY-bound plane deemed ‘non-credible’

Law enforcement: Airline threat ‘non-credible’

WASHINGTON — A federal law enforcement official says a phoned-in threat that kept a New York-bound jetliner from taking off from San Francisco has been deemed non-credible.

And the Transportation Security Agency said the plane was swept, no threat was found and all passengers are safe.

The official says a threat was called in to police about American Airlines Flight 24. FBI officials in San Francisco recorded the threat as a potential hijacking. The threat was relayed more broadly throughout the FBI as a potential bombing.

The official, who received an investigative update on the case, said any threat has been deemed not credible.

Passengers were removed from the plane and taken by buses to a terminal where they were sent through security again. Law enforcement did not have anyone in custody Wednesday evening, a second official said.

The two officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation was ongoing.

Associated Press writer Eileen Sullivan contributed to this report.