Jetliner Turns Back After Bomb Threat

An AirCal jetliner carrying 72 people from John Wayne Airport to San Francisco was diverted to Los Angeles Sunday night as the result of a telephoned bomb threat.

Flight 187 was in the vicinity of Santa Barbara when the pilot was advised of the threat shortly after 7:05 p.m. and decided to return to Los Angeles International Airport, according to AirCal spokesman Bill Bell.

The MD-80 landed without incident at 7:37 p.m., Bell said, and taxied to a remote part of the airport. The 67 passengers deplaned in a normal manner by the plane’s stairs and were bused to a terminal.

The Los Angeles Police Department bomb squad, accompanied by dogs trained to sniff out explosives, searched the plane, but no bomb was found and the aircraft was cleared about 9:35 p.m.

Once the examination of the plane was completed, it was towed to a gate and passengers were allowed back on to collect their belongings, Bell said. The passengers were to be provided with other flights to San Francisco.

Along with Flight 187, a return flight from San Francisco was also canceled because it would have missed a curfew on commercial jet operations at John Wayne, Bell said.