Alleged safety threats to Delta flight diverted to Logan Airport were a hoax call, state police say
The alleged safety threats to a Delta Airlines flight that was diverted to Logan International Airport on Sunday came from a hoax call made to authorities in another state, state police said Monday.
Delta Airlines’ Boston to Newark Flight 5770 was diverted back to Boston, shortly after takeoff, when authorities learned that police in New Jersey received a report that a male passenger on board had made threats concerning the safety of the plane.
Back on the ground at Logan, the passenger was removed from the plane, a bomb-sniffing K9 examined his carry-on baggage. The passenger did not have any checked luggage. The search turned up no sign of any hazardous material, and ultimately the plane took off for New Jersey.
The passenger, who cooperated with State Police investigators, was not charged.
An investigation by State Police detectives found that the male passenger “posed no threat to the safety of the flight or the public,” state police said.
“The man left the barracks after cooperating with investigators,” state police said in a statement Monday. “The investigation into the source of the hoax call, which was made to authorities in another state, is being conducted by another law enforcement jurisdiction. The Massachusetts State Police have no further involvement in this case.”
Boston 25′s Bob Ward spoke to Security Analyst Dan Linskey, a former Boston Police Chief, over Zoom about this unusual case.
Linskey said once Flight 57-70 took off, when the threat was received, authorities had to take action.
“We’d rather have them be safe than sorry. And make sure that our planes are no longer utilized for potential attacks against our communities,” Linskey said.
Mass State Police said the initial warning was made to police in another state, and that information was sent to Boston.
Dan Linskey said it’s important now to find the source of the hoax call, which on its surface, resembles a SWATTING call, like the hoax calls made to so many area schools in recent months.
“We can’t be pulling planes out of the sky because someone calls 911 and says Dan Linskey made a threat, Bob Ward made a threat. That’s not an appropriate response. That’s going to cause all kinds of concerns by our flying public and our safety, our ability to produce commerce, and travel throughout our country,” Linskey added.
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