Plane grounded at SFO after alleged phone threat

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A jetliner was being held on the tarmac at San Francisco’s airport because of an alleged phone threat, federal officials said.

Officials stopped American Airlines Flight 24, bound for New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, before its scheduled takeoff at 7:30 a.m., the Transportation Security Administration said.

“All passengers are safe and out of an abundance of caution, TSA requested the plane be moved to a remote location,” TSA spokeswoman Suzanne Trevino said in a statement.

Passengers were being taken off the plane on at least five buses to be interviewed and re-screened.

American Airlines spokesman Tim Smith said the threat was phoned into local police. He said there were no hostages.

There were 163 passengers and 11 crew members aboard the Boeing 767, Smith said.

Michael Kidd, a passenger on the plane, told KTVU in a phone interview that passengers appeared calm. They were on the runway getting ready to take off when the crew said they would be returning to the gate but didn’t say why, Kidd said.