Security issues reported on 2 flights from SoCal

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Monday, January 26, 2015
Security issues reported on 2 flights from SoCal
Security issues were reported on two different flights from Southern California, but it's unknown if the two incidents were related.

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Security issues were reported on two different flights from Southern California, but it's unknown if the two incidents were related.

A Delta Flight 1061 from LAX to Orlando was diverted to Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, at 4:25 p.m. CT due to a security concern. Eight crew members and 179 passengers were deplaned safely.

Passengers say they read about the threat on Twitter.

"It got scary because there's WiFi on the plane. So we hadn't been told, but we knew what was going on," said passenger Kalani Del Rae-Maher.

According to Del Rae-Maher, one tweet said, "We have planted explosives on Delta Flight #1601 from LA to Orlando, We are ISIS. We are here, you wont be."

"That was kind of scary to get, in the air," she said.

The FBI is investigating the incident in Dallas and confirmed that Delta received an Internet-based threat. Nothing was found during a search of the plane, and passengers continued to their original destination of Orlando.

In Seattle, JetBlue Flight 1006 from Long Beach to Seattle landed safely in a remote parking stand, where customers and their belongings were being re-screened due to "a security situation," an airline official said.

"The pilot came on and said, 'You know, I've never had this happen before, but I was just told, just now, that...there's a credible threat to this plane.' Then everybody paid attention," said passenger Lisa Vanderdasson.

A regional SkyWest jet from Phoenix was also evacuated upon arrival at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Both the JetBlue flight and the Skywest flight arrived in Seattle late Sunday afternoon.

Both flights have been cleared of security concern.

The incidents come a day after bomb threats targeted two jets bound for Atlanta, prompting F-16 fighter jets to escort the planes. Saturday's threats targeted Southwest Airlines Flight 2492, which arrived at Atlanta from Milwaukee; and Delta Air Lines Flight 1156, which arrived from Portland, Oregon.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.