Tweed New Haven Airport was cleared out Thursday morning after a passenger on board a plan about to take off started talking about bombs.
The incident occurred around 11 a.m. aboard Avelo Flight 295 to Charlotte-Concord, North Carolina.
The bomb talk occurred after all passengers had boarded the plane and the doors were locked, according to police spokesperson Officer Christian Bruckhart.
A 32-year-old Fairfield man was putting luggage in an overhead compartment when he made comments about other passengers’ luggage, police said. Comments like: “I hope that‘s not a bomb.” And: “I hope we don‘t crash; there have been a lot of plane crashes lately” and “Where is the escape route if the plane crashes?”
That concerned other passengers, who reported the conversation. The man did not make any threats, according to Bruckhart.
Police arrived and arrested the man without incident. They charged him with second-degree breach of peace. Authorities cleared the plane and the terminal of passengers “out of an abundance of caution,” Tweed stated in a notification posted later on Facebook. A search found no explosive devices on board.
The passenger’s “remark disrupted airport operations and the safety of its passengers,” the Facebook notice stated. “We appreciate the vigilance of the passengers who promptly reported the incident, ensuring the safety and security of everyone at the airport.”
The arrestee later acknowledged having made “a stupid comment about a bomb and plane crashes,” according to Bruckart.