Spirit Airlines Flight Evacuated Over Possible Bomb Threat at Fort Lauderdale Airport
The pilot of a Spirit Airlines aircraft declared an emergency due to a threat.
— -- A Spirit Airlines flight at Fort Lauderdale International Airport was evacuated after a possible bomb threat, the airport's public information officer told WPLG, a local ABC affiliate.
The plane was checked and cleared and has since departed to its destination, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.
A passenger on the flight, Autumn Lynn, told ABC News that the aircraft was just about to take off when a man sitting three rows behind her started screaming for a flight attendant, saying that he saw the passenger sitting next to him texting about a bomb being on a plane.
Flight attendants took the man’s cell phone, Lynn said, noting that about two hours passed before police came on board to take the him off the plane. Passengers had to exit the plane and pass through security again before the flight could get underway.
Lynn posted several videos to Facebook describing her experience. In this one, she says police officers "violently" grabbed the man from his seat "and dragged him off the plane."
The Broward Sheriff’s Office is investigating the incident.
This is a breaking news story.ABC News' Devin Villacis, Brendan Rand and Rachel Katz contributed to this report.