WILMINGTON — Local law enforcement does not know exactly why they were asked to search a plane that made an unexpected early morning landing Wednesday, and customs remains tight-lipped on the reasoning as well.
New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office and Wilmington Police Department were called out to Wilmington International Airport at 6 p.m. on Tuesday to search a Sunline plane flying in from Canada. The flight was never supposed to land in the United States. It was headed for the Dominican Republic, but was diverted to Wilmington due to an undisclosed “threat.”
A U.S. Borders and Customs Protection spokesperson told Port City Daily the agency is not releasing a reason for the unexpected stop while the incident is under investigation, but the case also involves the Federal Aviation Administration, the Transportation Security Administration and their Canadian counterparts.
The sheriff deputies boarded the plane, evacuated everyone onboard and searched them. The plane itself was scoured with explosive-detecting K-9s from the sheriff’s office and WPD.
Sheriff’s office spokesperson Lt. Jerry Brewer said deputies were called to perform the search but were not informed why. He also said everyone onboard was housed in hotels overnight and departed on a second plane that flew in from Toronto on Wednesday.
The airport, the sheriff’s office, Sunline, the FAA and customs all furnished statements on the incident.
“CBP officers inspected and cleared passengers and crew members while maintaining the safety and security of all travelers,” the customs statement noted. “Officers encountered six different nationalities of passengers during their processing of the flight. Customs and Border Protection routinely responds to International flight diversions at airports across the U.S. due to various situations such as severe weather, medical incidents, or security related situations. This incident remains under investigation.”
Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated the landing time of the flight. Port City Daily regrets this error.
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