A disturbance in the air triggered a major response on the ground Friday morning in Traverse City. Police say a man on board the United Express flight 6036 from Chicago started acting suspiciously right before landing. As soon as it touched down, the plane was taxied to a secluded location. “We have a witness that says that person brought something into the bathroom but we're not sure what it was,” says Capt. Steve Morgan with the Traverse City Police Department. After the flight crew learned that information, police say they checked the bathroom and found a wall panel that had been tampered with. Our cameras were rolling as the first officers stepped on board the plane to evacuate passengers. Witnesses tell us the person of interest was taken off the plane in handcuffs. “We had a good response and all the chief players were in position to deal with the incident,” says Stephen Cassens, Airport Director. After law enforcement officers took passengers to a secure building to be interviewed, a bomb-sniffing dog was brought in to check the plane and luggage. Police say nothing out of the ordinary was found. As of Friday evening, an FBI spokesperson tells 9&10 News the person of interest is still being detained, but no charges have been filed. The investigation is on-going. “Through interviewing the person that was involved in this incident, hopefully we'll get a clearer picture of what went on,” says Cassens. 9&10's Ryan Raiche and Photojournalist Jeremy Erickson have the story.
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