Emergency landing as woman claims 'device' implanted under her skin

PA

A US Airways plane was forced to make an emergency landing after a French woman claimed to have a "surgically implanted device" under her skin.

The woman, originally from Carmeroon, boarded the jet at Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport without any luggage, and began displaying suspicious behaviour as the jet made its way to Charlotte, North Carolina.

But the flight had to be diverted at Maine after she handed a not to a flight attendant that said she had a device sewn into her body, according to the Telegraph.

She was immediately taken to the back of the plane, where doctors examined her but could not find any evidence of recent scars.

Two US fighter jets were scrambled to fly with the Boeing 767 as it made its way to Bangor, Maine, where it safely landed.

In video footage given to ABC News, passengers can be seen wrestling the woman to the ground after she made her terrifying claim.

There were 179 passengers and nine crew members on board, and travellers were initially told by the pilot that the plane was stopping to refuel.

But when it landed, police officers boarded the plane, and the passengers were evacuated. They were allowed to continue their journey around three and a half hours later, according to the Daily Mail.

Passenger Alexa Moore told ABC News that travellers were not aware of exactly what was happening until after the incident had passed.

"We didn't know what was going on," she said. "I thought she probably had like some drugs on the plane but it was just like crazy. I was pretty shocked."

And when passengers were told what really happened, she said nobody screamed but "jaws dropped".

It is believed that the incident is not linked to a terrorist organisation, and that the woman is undergoing evaluation with American authorities.

Related articles

Plane makes emergency landing after pilot suffers 'mid-air meltdown'

US Airways passenger arrested after attacking cabin crew



Sign up to our weekly newsletterFollow us on TwitterBecome a fan on Facebook