Passengers Released From LAX Plane With Bomb Threat [UPDATE]

UPDATED: Tuesday, May 24, 10:25 a.m.

LOS ANGELES, CA - A Compass Airlines jetliner on a flight from Houston to Los Angeles International Airport landed safely at LAX today after an unknown threat was received, prompting a large-scale response by fire crews and police, with armed SWAT officers sweeping through the cabin before passengers were allowed to disembark.

The airplane landed safely about 8:30 a.m. and was taken to a remote section of the airfield, where a portable stairway was brought to the aircraft, but passengers were forced to remain on board.

An armed SWAT team boarded the aircraft, and following a preliminary sweep of the interior, passengers were allowed to get off the airplane about 10 a.m. via the portable stairway.

Bomb-sniffing dogs met the passengers at the bottom of the stairway to check them before they were allowed to board shuttle buses.

Compass Airlines is a sub-carrier, an airport spokesman said. The words American Eagle are written on the side of the aircraft. No injuries were immediately reported.

Law enforcement personnel from a number of agencies, some with bomb-sniffing dogs, were deployed in the vicinity of the aircraft, and firefighters were on standby as a precaution.

The nature of the threat was not immediately known.

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By ALEXANDER NGUYEN (Patch Staff)

UPDATED: Tuesday, May 24, 10:10 a.m.

LOS ANGELES, CA -- A phoned-in bomb threat has an American Eagle plane that landed with passengers on board in LAX sitting on the runway, according to several media reports.

The plane originated in Houston and landed at LAX as scheduled, Los Angeles Airport Police spokesman Charles Pannunzio said.

"The plane is sitting at a remote gate and airport police and their canine units are checking it out along with the L.A. fire department," he said.

Pannunzio could not confirm the exact nature of the threat, but several media outlets have reported it as a phoned- in bomb threat.

The flight was Compass Airlines flight 5931. Compass flies under several different banners, including American Eagle. A Compass Airlines spokeswoman confirmed the flight was under the American Eagle banner.

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UPDATE: Tuesday, May 24, 9:55 a.m.

LOS ANGELES, CA -- A phoned-in bomb threat has an American Eagle plane that landed with passengers on board in LAX sitting on the runway, according to several media reports.

The plane originated in Houston and landed at LAX as scheduled, Los Angeles Airport Police spokesman Charles Pannunzio said.

"The plane is sitting at a remote gate and airport police and their canine units are checking it out along with the L.A. fire department," he said.

Pannunzio could not confirm the exact nature of the threat, but several media outlets have reported it as a phoned in bomb threat.

The flight was Compass Airlines flight 5931. Compass flies under several different banners, including American Eagle but Pannunzio could not confirm if this was an American Eagle flight.

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TUESDAY, MAY 24, 9:45 a.m.

LOS ANGELES, CA -- A phoned-in bomb threat has an American Eagle plane that just landed with passengers in LAX sitting on the runway, according to several media reports.

The plane may have originated in Houston and landed at LAX, NBC Los Angeles reports.

Calls to both LAX Airport Police and American Airlines have not been returned.

--City News Service contributed to this report