A flight from Los Angeles to London was diverted to New York early Thursday because of what officials said may have been unfounded fears of a security breach.
A flight attendant on the American Airlines plane apparently became suspicious of a male passenger because there was "some confusion as to whether the man was properly security screened" before boarding the Heathrow Airport-bound flight at Los Angeles International Airport, a law enforcement official said.
Authorities were questioning the passenger Thursday morning at Kennedy International Airport, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to speak to the media.
"The individual in question was, in fact, an employee who was traveling in a private capacity," Chertoff told CNN, saying he had gotten information from airline representatives. "It may very well turn out that this is nothing more than a misunderstanding with an employee."
The diverted plane, carrying 230 passengers, landed in New York about 3:30 a.m., said Alan Hicks, a spokesman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the airport. He said the agency was told about an hour earlier that Flight 136 was being diverted.
A flight attendant on the American Airlines plane apparently became suspicious of a male passenger because there was "some confusion as to whether the man was properly security screened" before boarding the Heathrow Airport-bound flight at Los Angeles International Airport, a law enforcement official said.
Authorities were questioning the passenger Thursday morning at Kennedy International Airport, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to speak to the media.
"The individual in question was, in fact, an employee who was traveling in a private capacity," Chertoff told CNN, saying he had gotten information from airline representatives. "It may very well turn out that this is nothing more than a misunderstanding with an employee."
The diverted plane, carrying 230 passengers, landed in New York about 3:30 a.m., said Alan Hicks, a spokesman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the airport. He said the agency was told about an hour earlier that Flight 136 was being diverted.
