A bomb threat that halted a commuter plane as it was about to take off with 33 people on board Friday morning was a hoax, authorities said.
No explosives were found after a search, and the American Eagle plane took off about two hours late, authorities said.
Investigators were trying to determine the source of the emergency call about the threat. Authorities had believed it came from a passenger with a cell phone aboard the plane, but FBI spokesman Scott Wilson said officials had determined the call did not originate there.
The caller singled out the American Eagle flight and had specific details that made authorities take the threat seriously, airport police Chief Mark Fisher said.
The plane had pushed away from the terminal and was getting ready to take off for Chicago when officials found about the call, said Andrea Huguely, spokeswoman with American Eagle, an American Airlines regional carrier.
She said local law enforcement and the FBI had asked that the plane be prevented from taking off.
The passengers were interviewed, and the plane was searched by bomb technicians before it was allowed to take off, Wilson said.
The Federal Aviation Administration said it was aware of the situation but had no information. The Transportation Security Administration said local authorities were handling the matter.
The airport, which handles 15 to 20 flights a day, had another bomb scare last month, when a commuter plane was evacuated after a passenger found a threatening note on board. The note, written on a safety placard in a seat pocket, included an obscenity about America, an arrow pointing to the back of the plane and the word "bomb."
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On The Net:
Airport: http://www.toledoexpress.com
American Airlines: http://www.aa.com
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Associated Press writers Matt Leingang and Mark Williams in Columbus contributed to this report.
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