Originally published October 4, 2007 at 12:00 AM | Page modified October 4, 2007 at 5:31 PM

Unclaimed item left aboard detained Alaska Airlines plane ruled harmless

Police determined that an unclaimed object that prompted the brief isolation of an Alaska Airlines plane carrying 104 passengers and five...

By Christina Siderius

Seattle Times staff reporter

Police determined that an unclaimed object that prompted the brief isolation of an Alaska Airlines plane carrying 104 passengers and five crew members today at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport was harmless, an airport spokeswoman said.

The Boeing 737-400 is back in service after being held for about an hour, and all passengers who had been detained at the gate were free to leave the airport, said airport spokeswoman Terri-Ann Betancourt.

Before landing in Seattle from San Jose at about 11:40 a.m., the pilot of Flight 383 informed the airport control tower that he had something on his plane that was of concern to him, said Betancourt.

She said the item "looked like a cellphone" but was uncertain of its identity.

The airline described it as an unclaimed object that was discovered while the aircraft was en route.

Christina Siderius: csiderius@seattletimes.com

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