There were no reports of an explosion on the plane, which landed safely at Denver International Airport from Washington’s Reagan National Airport following the disturbance.
Law enforcement authorities initially notified key lawmakers that U.S. air marshals subdued the Qatari national, who had apparently sought to “ignite their (his) shoe” on the flight, a congressional aide told AFP on condition of anonymity.
“Air marshals jumped in, and the cockpit wasn’t breached,” the official said.
The FBI was investigating whether the man, identified by ABC News as Qatari diplomat Mohammed al-Modadi, tried to ignite something aboard the plane. Al-Modadi, 27, has full diplomatic immunity as the third secretary and vice-consul of the Qatari embassy in Washington.
But NBC News reported the man had simply said he was putting out a cigarette he had smoked in the restroom on the sole of his shoe. Smoking is strictly prohibited on all U.S. passenger flights.
ABC News said the diplomat told marshals “I’m lighting my shoes on fire.”
However, a U.S. security official acknowledged “it may have been a massive misunderstanding,” telling ABC that al-Modadi may have been making a “sarcastic” comment when he was confronted by two air marshals.
NBC News said a search of the man found no explosives and that bomb-sniffing dogs found no traces of explosives aboard the aircraft.
United Airlines Flight 663, which originated from Washington’s Reagan National Airport, landed safely in Denver about 9 p.m. EDT (01:00 GMT on Thursday) after two F-16 fighter jets intercepted the Boeing 757 aircraft, according to the North American Aerospace Defense Command responsible for safeguarding U.S. airspace.
U.S. officials have been on heightened alert and have ramped up security substantially since Christmas Day last year after a Nigerian man tried but failed to blow up a flight from Amsterdam to Detroit with a bomb hidden in his underwear.
Source: Al Arabia