A flight from Egypt to the United States was diverted, escorted by fighter jets and forced to make an emergency landing in the U.K. after a passenger found a letter on the plane that threatened the aircraft.
An EgyptAir flight from Cairo to John F. Kennedy Airport in New York was forced to land at Glasgow's Prestwick Airport on Saturday due to a note that was found in the bathroom. Police are not trying to figure out who wrote the note on Flight 985, which was carrying 326 people, the Daily Mail reports.
There are five Egyptian passengers in particular who may have been responsible. The five passengers have sought asylum in the U.K.
The BBC reports that one of its producers, Nada Tawfik, found the threatening note which was written in pencil on a napkin. The note read "I'll set this plane on fire" and a seat number may have been written on it. After Tawfik found the note on the lavatory sink, she told the crew who locked the toilet door.
"It almost looked like a child's handwriting or someone who has very sloppy handwriting, but it was very alarming especially these days when everyone is so concerned about safety on flights" she told the BBC. She said she wasn't sure if the note was a joke or not. "Either someone has a very bad sense of humor or, you know, it's very scary."
British Typhoon fighter jets were called to escort the jet to Scotland. Police met the plane and passengers had to wait six hours before they were able to get off the plane. The police searched the plane overnight but they couldn't find any suspicious items. The plane continued to New York on Sunday.
No arrests have been made yet.
"This note, whatever narrative it contained, we have to treat it seriously and maintain the safety of passengers and crew," Det. Superintendent Alan Crawford said according to the Daily Mail. "Whether it is a prank or not this will be investigated thoroughly to establish the circumstances. We could never write something off as a prank without investigating."
Other travel arrangements were made for the passengers are they were interviewed.
