DENVER—A SkyWest Airlines plane was searched at Denver International Airport on Thursday after a device that looked like a pipe bomb was removed from a passenger’s luggage, but nothing alarming was found on the aircraft, authorities said.
The device was found during routine screening of checked baggage at an airport in Eugene, Ore., where the flight originated. Officials there initially concluded it was not a threat and the passenger was allowed to board, Transportation Security Administration spokeswoman Carrie Harmon said.
They later decided to remove the item in Eugene and inspect the plane when it landed in Denver “out of an abundance of caution,” she said. The passenger was questioned in Denver but released.
Authorities said the passenger was bound for Paris but they did not release his name. FBI spokesman Mike Sweeney said the device did not contain bomb-making material and the passenger was not considered a threat.
Prosecutors were to determine if the person should face federal charges.
In Denver, the plane was directed to an isolated area and the 67 passengers and crew were evacuated during the search, airport spokesman Steve Snyder said. When nothing was found, passengers and crew reboarded and the plane was allowed to taxi to a gate.
The Eugene airport was evacuated while authorities removed the item for examination by the FBI and the Eugene Police bomb squad.
Police, airport officials and airlines were working to restore normal operations.
