Plane Evacuated After Cell Phone Found

SEATTLE (AP) — A passenger plane was evacuated upon landing Thursday after a passenger found an unclaimed cell phone tucked in his seat, a Seattle-Tacoma International Airport spokeswoman said.

The FBI and Port of Seattle police determined that the cell phone posed no safety threat, airport spokesman Terri-Ann Betancourt said.

The cell phone appeared to have been taken apart, put back together and shoved into the seat, Betancourt said. The passenger who found it asked if it belonged to anybody, and when no one claimed it, the pilot determined the plane needed to be evacuated.

The Alaska Airlines flight from San Jose was directed to park on a taxiway at the far west end of the airport, where it was evacuated, airline spokesman Paul McElroy said. Passengers were bused to the terminal.

The airport halted all takeoffs and landings for about 10 minutes while the Boeing 737-400 was evacuated. Betancourt said at the worst point, the airport was reporting 12-minute flight delays.