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'Bomb Onboard' Written Inside Plane Lavatory

Aircraft Searched By State Police At Logan

POSTED: 3:21 pm EDT September 30, 2009
UPDATED: 10:40 pm EDT September 30, 2009

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A flight attendant on an American Airlines plane that was about to take off from Boston's Logan International Airport Wednesday found a note written on lavatory cabinet indicating that a bomb was on the plane.

Crews were in the process of pre-boarding Flight 1318, which was scheduled to leave Boston for Miami at 2:30 p.m. when the note was found written on a cabinet in a lavatory.

It read, "Bomb onboard. Boston-Miami."

"An airline employee discovered a threatening note inside the aircraft's lavatory. No passengers were on board during this time," TSA spokeswoman Kristin Lee said.

The plane was moved to an isolated area away from the terminal to be searched by the Massachusetts State Police.

"In all of these instances, even if you think it's a hoax, you must take it as if it where the real thing," said Edith Flynn, an international terrorism expert.

K-9 units sniffed dozens of pieces of luggage that were taken off the plane. The plane was given the all-clear at about 4 p.m., and the passengers were transferred onto another plane to continue to Florida, according to Massport spokesman Phil Orlandella.

"No bombs, devices or anything else of suspicious nature was found. The flight has been cleared to continue to Miami," said Dave Procopio, of the Massachusetts State Police.

The aircraft arrived in Boston from Dallas as Flight 1030 at about 1:30 p.m.

Earlier this month, An American Airlines flight from Miami to Boston was forced back to Florida because of a suspicious message found in the bathroom. That plane had to turn around and land 45 minutes into the flight.

"(It) more likely (involved) a disgruntled passenger ... because this is a second incident within two weeks," Flynn said. "(It's) not likely to be international-motivated terrorism."

It's of significance to note that all the passengers from Dallas had gotten off the plane when the threatening message was discovered. So, was it scrawled before the plane landed at Logan or during the time it was parked at the gate getting checked for its next leg to Miami.

An investigation continued Wednesday evening.

NewsCenter 5 and TheBostonChannel.com will have more information when it becomes available.

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