Suspicious device found on plane in Phoenix was MP3 player
More than 100 people were evacuated from an America West Airlines flight in Phoenix Wednesday morning after a passenger spotted a suspicious device, an airport spokeswoman said.
The item turned out to be a music player wrapped around a soda can, said Sky Harbor International Airport spokeswoman Deborah Ostreicher.
It was found in a seat-back by a passenger as Flight 44 to Washington, D.C., was taxiing out to the runway for takeoff.
Officials investigating the incident concluded the item was not dangerous. But before it was determined what had been found, the pilot taxied to the airport's cargo area, where the 117 passengers and five crew members got off and were bused to a terminal.
A police bomb squad was then called in to check the plane.
All the luggage also was taken off the plane and was rechecked.
At no point during the investigation did airport officials stop or alter any other flights, Ostreicher said.
"It just looked suspicious, which is why we always take the precautions we do," she said.
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