American Airlines Flight Diverted On Man''s Weapons Claim
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP)--A flight by AMR Corp.American Airlines to Miami was diverted moments after takeoff when a passenger told others that bringing weapons aboard planes is easy in the Dominican Republic, authorities said Monday.
American Airlines Flight 680, carrying 225 passengers, left Santo Domingo at 9:45 a.m. Sunday. It was diverted moments later to Puerto Plata, a city 135 miles to the northwest, as a precautionary measure in case the man was armed.
"The Dominican passenger told another two passengers, in his limited English, that boarding a plane in Dominican airports with a weapon is really easy," said airport spokesman Ellis Perez. "We don''t know what the two North American passengers understood, but they told the crew, and the pilot decided to go to Puerto Plata."
Upon arrival, authorities searched the plane and all passengers.
Police detained the passenger, who was not armed, in Puerto Plata. He was being questioned by the Dominican National Investigation Department with assistance from the FBI, said Gen. Fernando Cruz, director of the Dominican investigation authority.
"We are interrogating him here (Santo Domingo)," he said. "He doesn''t have any prior record but we have the impression we are dealing with a nut."
No charges have been filed.
The plane, an Airbus 300, left Puerto Plata on Sunday afternoon and continued on to Miami.
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP)--A flight by AMR Corp.American Airlines to Miami was diverted moments after takeoff when a passenger told others that bringing weapons aboard planes is easy in the Dominican Republic, authorities said Monday.
American Airlines Flight 680, carrying 225 passengers, left Santo Domingo at 9:45 a.m. Sunday. It was diverted moments later to Puerto Plata, a city 135 miles to the northwest, as a precautionary measure in case the man was armed.
"The Dominican passenger told another two passengers, in his limited English, that boarding a plane in Dominican airports with a weapon is really easy," said airport spokesman Ellis Perez. "We don''t know what the two North American passengers understood, but they told the crew, and the pilot decided to go to Puerto Plata."
Upon arrival, authorities searched the plane and all passengers.
Police detained the passenger, who was not armed, in Puerto Plata. He was being questioned by the Dominican National Investigation Department with assistance from the FBI, said Gen. Fernando Cruz, director of the Dominican investigation authority.
"We are interrogating him here (Santo Domingo)," he said. "He doesn''t have any prior record but we have the impression we are dealing with a nut."
No charges have been filed.
The plane, an Airbus 300, left Puerto Plata on Sunday afternoon and continued on to Miami.
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