JACKSONVILLE, Fla.,None — A woman was taken into custody Tuesday after authorities said she threatened to hijack a Delta flight from Jacksonville to Atlanta.
Delta flight 2280 was still on the ground in Jacksonville with its doors open when passengers said the unidentified woman walked up through first class and passed a note to the flight attendants.
"She presented a letter to the flight attendants that said urgent on it," first-class passenger Carrie Howard told Channel 2's Richard Elliot. "Inside was a letter saying that she was hijacking the plane, and she'd be sitting in 19A unarmed."
Howard described the woman as being in her late 50s, shaky-looking, glassy-eyed and clutching a Bible. She said the flight attendants immediately passed the note to the pilot who then escorted the woman off the plane.
Kathy Bowles was still on the jet way trying to board when they passed by.
"The pilot came out with a woman, escorting a woman off the plane. Apparently, she had made a threat and wanted to die," Bowles said.
Others told Elliot the flight crew announced there would be a delay, asked everyone to leave the plane and began trying to match carry-on luggage with passengers as they exited.
"They ended up taking everybody off, and then had the police on board and check everything out," said passenger Traci Pearson.
Passengers said authorities also removed checked luggage for security sweeps. The flight was delayed about a two hours before passengers were allowed back on board and continued to Atlanta.
Bowles lauded the efforts of the Delta personnel and police.
"Delta did phenomenal, and the flight attendants did great. Everything was just very, very calm," she said.
Through social media, Delta called the incident simply a "potential security issue."
A Jacksonville Airport representative told Elliot that the FBI took custody of the woman and will interview her to see if she was, in fact, a threat. Charges are pending.
WSBTV
