United plane makes emergency landing in Pittsburgh over ‘possible security issue’

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Passengers on flight from Chicago to New York exited via slides as FBI, bomb technicians and K-9 unit responded

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A United Airlines flight bound for New York City was forced to land and evacuate in Pittsburgh on Saturday morning after crew members reported a “possible security issue”, a spokesperson for the Federal Aviation Administration said.

United flight 2092 took off from Chicago O’Hare airport and had been en route to LaGuardia airport in New York. The plane diverted to Pittsburgh international airport as a result of the reported threat.

Passengers exited the aircraft via slides, a United spokesperson said in an emailed statement. Video posted online by the ABC News affiliate in Pittsburgh, WTAE, showed a United jet at the airport with its emergency slides deployed.

FBI agents and bomb technicians responded to the scene, the bureau’s Pittsburgh office said in a social media statement.

Local Allegheny county police department officers were also were on ground with a bomb squad and a canine unit trained in explosives.

According to a statement from the police: “[T]he Allegheny County Police Bomb Squad was requested for a report of a plane being diverted to Pittsburgh International Airport due to a reported security issue. Our EOD team and K9s conducted a sweep of the aircraft, passengers and luggage with negative results.”

Bob Kerlik, director of public affairs for the Allegheny county airport authority, said in an email that law enforcement had cleared the scene.

Pittsburgh international airport was open and operational, he said. Passengers on the diverted flight were rebooked on another aircraft.

Officials did not comment on the nature of the threat and whether anyone had been taken into custody.

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