An American Airlines flight traveling to Minneapolis, Minnesota, from Charlotte, North Carolina, was forced to return to the airport Monday night due to a security threat, airline officials reportedly said.
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American spokeswoman Katie Cody said the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department has since cleared the plane and the airline is working to get passengers “on their way”.
The 143 passengers and five flight crew members had to deplane via air stairs and will be accommodated on a new aircraft.
Southwest Airlines shows the flight was canceled.
Passengers also reported that the aircraft made a rough landing and dumped some fuel before returning to the airport.
Photos showed passengers being unloaded from the plane, with the help of firefighters, away from the airport’s gates.
“Early indications are it appears to be a blown tire”, said Brad Hawkins, a Southwest Airlines spokesman, according to the Denver Post.
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126 passengers were shuttled to the main terminal by bus while security checks were carried out.
