Phone sets off plane bomb alert

SAMUT PRAKAN: An Indian-flagged Jet Airways plane made an emergency landing at Suvarnabhumi airport on Wednesday night after two passengers spotted an unattended mobile phone displaying the message “do not turn off”.

The discovery was reported to the captain of Flight 9W 066, who took it for a bomb threat and immediately informed the control tower at Suvarnabhumi airport.

The plane had departed from New Delhi with 153 passengers on board and was due to land at Suvarnabhumi at 8.37pm.

After receiving the captain’s message it was decided to implement emergency measures to deal with a bomb threat, Suvarnabhumi airport director Sirote Duangratana said yesterday.

The aircraft was sent to an isolated parking bay after landing. The passengers and eight crew members were subject to a strict examination and all luggage was checked thoroughly by airport security and officials from the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit.

Patrol and Special Operation Division commander Surachet Hakphan, who is also acting deputy chief of the Tourist Police Bureau, said the incident was not taken lightly.

A thorough search of the aircraft and luggage found no suspicious objects.

An Indian couple later told police they had found a phone showing a “do not turn off” message on one of the passenger seats, and asked a flight attendant to locate its owner.

The phone was taken to the captain, who reportedly feared turning it off in case it detonated a bomb.

Pol Maj Gen Surachet said the couple had acted correctly, with good intentions, and were not suspects. It was not known who the phone belonged to.

He said the message on the mobile phone’s screen was a false alarm, adding it was unlikely the message was a bomb threat.