An American Airlines flight from Chicago to Reagan National Airport was diverted to Dulles International Airport late Monday after the crew reported a security concern involving a passenger, authorities said.
The nature of the security concern was not immediately disclosed, and officials who searched the plane after it landed found no hazardous materials on board. The allegedly suspicious passenger was not on a watch list, an American Airlines spokesman said.
American Eagle Flight 4117 landed safely shortly before midnight with 45 passengers on board, airline spokesman Tim Smith said, according to the Associated Press. He said the crew reported a security concern during the flight to the Transportation Security Administration, which advised the pilot to land at Dulles instead of National. Most passengers left the airport on their own, while others were offered transportation, Smith said. The two airports in Northern Virginia are about 28 miles apart.
In a statement Tuesday morning, TSA said it “was notified of a passenger acting unusually” on the flight, which was then rerouted to Dulles at the request of the National Capital Region Coordination Center and “landed without incident at approximately 11:53 pm EDT.”
The statement said TSA and law enforcement personnel met the flight and that “all passengers were cleared to proceed.” It did not immediately explain what the passenger did to cause the diversion or provide any further details of the incident.
A spokesman for the Washington Metropolitan Airports Authority said the situation was resolved shortly after the American Eagle flight landed and that some passengers were taken by bus to National.
The plane was scheduled to fly Tuesday morning from Dulles to National.
