ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) – A Maine-bound flight was diverted to Rochester and airport runways were briefly closed after a suspicious item was found in the plane’s bathroom, airline and local authorities said. The object turned out to be harmless, and the airport reopened after about an hour.

A flight attendant found the item Friday night on a Pinnacle Airlines flight from Detroit to Portland, Maine, airline spokesman Phil Reed said early Saturday. Pinnacle was running the flight in partnership with Northwest Airlines.

The flight crew decided to divert Flight 2908 and its 46 passengers to Rochester, Reed said. He said the Memphis, Tenn.-based airline’s crews are instructed that “it’s the pragmatic thing to do” if anything suspicious is found.

The plane landed shortly after 10:30 p.m. Friday at Greater Rochester International Airport. At least five other flights were diverted from Rochester to airports in Buffalo and Toronto while authorities investigated, Monroe County communications director John Durso Jr. and airport director David Damelio said. The object was found to be a nonexplosive “electronic device,” Damelio said, declining to elaborate.

The airport reopened at about 11:30 p.m., Durso and Damelio said.

But Flight 2908 was delayed overnight because of bad weather in Portland, and Pinnacle put passengers up in local hotels, Reed said. Durso and Damelio said Flight 2908 was to take off Saturday.

Copy the Story Link

Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.