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SALT LAKE CITY — Police boarded and searched a Southwest Airlines flight on the tarmac at the Salt Lake City International Airport on Wednesday.
A Southwest spokesman said a passenger on Southwest Flight 1983 from San Jose found a note on board, which prompted the search. After the search, they determined the note to be a "noncredible threat."
"Safety is always our top priority, so out of an abundance of caution and following protocol, the aircraft was parked away from the terminal upon arrival where a K-9 crew cleared the plane and customers were bused to the terminal," the spokesman said in a written statement. "We appreciate the support and patience of our customers and crew during the event and apologize for any inconvenience."
Passengers described not knowing what was going on while the plane was searched, and say they were initially not allowed to deplane. Skyler Tolman said he didn't think much of the delay until he noticed three or four police cars on the tarmac outside the plane.
Jay Sanders, another passenger, said the officers entered the plane and spoke privately with the pilot for about 10 minutes.
After the officers spoke with the pilot, Tolman said they allowed the passengers to deplane and had the dogs sniff all of their bags. He said he wasn't nervous, but the situation was unexpected.
"It didn't seem like I was in danger," he said. "I was half expecting the police to get on and carry someone off the plane. That would have been a little more exciting maybe — not in a good way."
