Attacks Ground Travel

Jet grounded by hijack fears was not in danger, officials say

At 11 a.m. Tuesday, Cleveland Hopkins international Airport was being completely evacuated and all flights were canceled.

no vehicles were allowed near the airport, so people were walking up the ramps with their suitcases and trying to catch cabs or shuttles to packed hotels.

A Delta flight from Boston was forced to land Tuesday at Cleveland Hopkins international Airport because of fears it had been hijacked, city officials said. Although authorities had been worried that there might be a bomb on board, no explosives were found.

Where taxis and shuttles used to wait for customers outside the airport terminal, hundreds of people could be seen walking and talking on cell phones.

By noon, the airport sheraton was completely booked.

Vicky schieman of Chester Township and liz DeMonte of Euclid, had a 9 a.m. flight to Kansas City, Mo., for the Cleveland indians’ three-game series with Kansas City Royals.

“i was talking to a lady that works for Continental, and she said ‘Don’t risk your life for a ball game,’” schieman said.

DeMonte was awestruck.

“it’s amazing,” she said. “i can believe one building being attacked, but five separate attacks is amazing. This has to be an inside job. How many security lapses can you have? They always stop me.”

When flights were canceled, DeMonte was frustrated.

“if i ever get home, i’m going to stay there for good,” she said.

The federal Aviation Administration had been informed at 9:45 a.m. of possible hijacking of plane headed for Cleveland, said fBi spokesman Mark Bullock.

flight 1989 to los Angeles was not hijacked but was grounded by Delta because it was on the same flight pattern as a plane that was hijacked and struck to the World Trade Center in new york, Bullock said.

The plane landed about 10:45 a.m. Tuesday with 78 passengers aboard, airport officials said.

The Boeing 767 was evacuated and searched, said Della Homenick, spokeswoman for Mayor Michael R. White. passengers were taken to nearby NASA facility.

FBI spokesman Bob Hawk said that since Delta plane left Boston about the same time as the hijacked plane, passengers were being interviewed to see if they saw anything unusual Tuesday morning.

After the plane landed, the airport was closed and bomb sniffing dogs were brought to baggage pickup areas.

“There was no bomb, and no hijacking,” White said Tuesday afternoon.

“The measures that were taken were taken as precautionary measures.”

White said he has no further information about a second airplane that was reportedly in distress in Cleveland’s airspace Tuesday morning.

“The first report into this office was that there was a call by an airplane in Cleveland air space, and there was apparent screaming heard by controller.” White said.

The city believes this plane passed into Toledo’s airspace, but White added that he could not confirm the original report, and no idea what happened to the plane.

Officials at Toledo Express Airport did not immediately have any information about the plane.

The federal Aviation Administration said no airport will operate until noon today in the nation.

Jeff Forman/News-Herald Joe and Ruth Ahmen sit Wednesday in the nearly deserted Cleveland Hopkins Airport, waiting to hear whether they will be able to fly home to Davenport, Iowa. They were supposed to return Tuesday but with the continuing delays, they were considering renting a car to make the trip. Moments after this photo was taken, the airport was evacuated for a bomb search.

Ken Blaze/News-Herald A security oficer walks the grounds of the Federal Building Tuesday afternoon in downtown Cleveland after two planes destroyed the World Trade Center in New York.