Narrative:

The galley flight attendant came to first class to inform me, 'purser,' that passenger in seat X responded 'bomb,' when asked what had made the loud sound when he threw his bag under his seat. She asked him to repeat himself and again he said 'a bomb.' she informed him that now she had to inform the captain of his statement, and he voluntarily gave her his boarding pass when she requested it. The captain was informed. The aircraft was taxiing. We moved away from the runway. Security boarded and passenger was removed. Passenger, as he deplaned, said he was joking and he understood the flight attendant was just doing her job. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter said that the man spoke good english, but with a heavy accent. He was a businessman and expensively dressed. The police boarded the plane on the taxiway and only took him off with his 2 bags. He told them he hadn't checked any bags, so they did double-check that. They did not search the airplane or other passenger. He seemed genuinely embarrassed about the commotion he had caused. The incident was over in a short time, not causing a big delay. Supplemental information from acn 466319: during safety check the flight attendant asked a passenger to put his bag under his seat. He threw it on the floor making a loud noise. It was treated like a real bomb threat. Police came and removed passenger.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MULTIPLE CABIN ATTENDANT RPT, A300, MEX-MIA. ON TAXI, PAX THREW BAG ON FLOOR, MAKING LOUD NOISE, SAID IT WAS A BOMB. CAPT TAXIED OFF TXWY. POLICE REMOVED PAX.

Narrative: THE GALLEY FLT ATTENDANT CAME TO FIRST CLASS TO INFORM ME, 'PURSER,' THAT PAX IN SEAT X RESPONDED 'BOMB,' WHEN ASKED WHAT HAD MADE THE LOUD SOUND WHEN HE THREW HIS BAG UNDER HIS SEAT. SHE ASKED HIM TO REPEAT HIMSELF AND AGAIN HE SAID 'A BOMB.' SHE INFORMED HIM THAT NOW SHE HAD TO INFORM THE CAPT OF HIS STATEMENT, AND HE VOLUNTARILY GAVE HER HIS BOARDING PASS WHEN SHE REQUESTED IT. THE CAPT WAS INFORMED. THE ACFT WAS TAXIING. WE MOVED AWAY FROM THE RWY. SECURITY BOARDED AND PAX WAS REMOVED. PAX, AS HE DEPLANED, SAID HE WAS JOKING AND HE UNDERSTOOD THE FLT ATTENDANT WAS JUST DOING HER JOB. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR SAID THAT THE MAN SPOKE GOOD ENGLISH, BUT WITH A HVY ACCENT. HE WAS A BUSINESSMAN AND EXPENSIVELY DRESSED. THE POLICE BOARDED THE PLANE ON THE TXWY AND ONLY TOOK HIM OFF WITH HIS 2 BAGS. HE TOLD THEM HE HADN'T CHKED ANY BAGS, SO THEY DID DOUBLE-CHK THAT. THEY DID NOT SEARCH THE AIRPLANE OR OTHER PAX. HE SEEMED GENUINELY EMBARRASSED ABOUT THE COMMOTION HE HAD CAUSED. THE INCIDENT WAS OVER IN A SHORT TIME, NOT CAUSING A BIG DELAY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 466319: DURING SAFETY CHK THE FLT ATTENDANT ASKED A PAX TO PUT HIS BAG UNDER HIS SEAT. HE THREW IT ON THE FLOOR MAKING A LOUD NOISE. IT WAS TREATED LIKE A REAL BOMB THREAT. POLICE CAME AND REMOVED PAX.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.