Teen held in alleged plot to hijack plane
A California teenager has been arrested in Nashville on suspicion of plotting to hijack a plane from Los Angeles to Nashville, the FBI said.
FBI spokesman George Bolds said that the 16-year-old was removed from Southwest Airlines Flight 284 Tuesday night by authorities at Nashville International Airport. He was found with handcuffs, rope and duct tape in his bag. The juvenile, who was not identified, was traveling alone.
“His plan had a low probability of success,” Bolds said. The teen was in custody at a juvenile detention center.
Bolds dismissed earlier broadcast reports that the teen planned to crash the plane into a “Hannah Montana” concert in Lafayette, La.
Authorities searched the teen’s home in California and found a mock cockpit, Bolds said. The teen’s parents were reportedly unaware he was traveling to Nashville. He is believed to be suicidal, Bolds said.
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