By Yepoka Yeebo
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MANHATTAN — A New York-bound American Airlines flight was grounded in San Francisco after a hijacking threat Thursday morning, according to a government official. Reports said two people were taken off the plane in handcuffs.
The threat was deemed "not credible" late Thursday and the couple interrogated by authorities was released, according to several media reports.
American Airlines flight 24 from San Francisco to JFK Airport was carrying 163 passengers and 11 crew. The flight had been scheduled to leave for JFK early Thursday morning.
American Airlines spokeswoman Andrea Huguely told DNAinfo that the plane was grounded after a threat regarding the flight was phoned in to local police.
The plane's passengers were forced to evacuate the plane and they were re-screened by security, Hughes said.
A passenger on board the flight, Michael Kidd, told the Associated Press he saw uniformed police officers handcuffing a young man and a young woman sitting in the back row.
Two people were interviewed by the FBI, the AP reported.
A passenger on board the flight posted regular updates to Twitter.
"Lots of police guys outside now... Hopefully it's a hoax. No update from captain," Campbell McKellar said in a Twitter update sent from her iPhone just after 3 p.m.
An hour later, she added, "We are going off six at a time and bringing our bags with us. Everyone veryready [sic] to get off." McKellar also posted pictures from the grounded plane, and from a bus sent to evacuate passengers.
The TSA issued a statement saying, "All passengers are safe and out of an abundance of caution, TSA requested the plane be moved to a remote location."
TSA said the passenger were all interviewed and nothing suspicious was found during an examination of the airplane.
