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Delta Flight Makes Emergency Landing at JFK Because of Suspicious Wires

By Julie Shapiro | July 12, 2012 11:11pm | Updated on July 13, 2012 1:05am
The Port Authority Police Department's Canine Unit patrols Terminal 4 of JFK Airport.
The Port Authority Police Department's Canine Unit patrols Terminal 4 of JFK Airport.
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Michael Nagle/Getty Images

QUEENS — A Delta flight bound for Madrid returned to JFK Airport and made an emergency landing Thursday evening after a federal air marshal found suspicious cut wires onboard, according to Delta, an airport official and reports.

The cut wires, which were discovered in the rear bathroom of the plane, were ultimately found to be harmless, but the plane was evacuated as officials investigated, ABC and NBC reported.

The NYPD's bomb squad responded to the scene and determined that there were no explosives on the plane, an airport official said.

"It was deemed to be a non-threat," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Delta Flight 126 took off from JFK at 8:10 p.m. and was flying over the Atlantic Ocean just past Cape Cod when it abruptly turned and looped back to land at JFK, according to an online map of the flight's path. The plane landed at JFK at 9:37 p.m., according to Delta's website.

"Out of an abundance of caution, Flight 126, JFK-MAD with 206 passengers, returned to JFK at approximately 9:30 p.m. due to a security concern," a Delta spokeswoman said in a statement. "The flight landed safely and was met by local law enforcement."

The passengers were evacuated on the runway and were being bused back to the airport, according to reports.

The NYPD did not immediately have information about the incident.