Security: Flight to Bermuda Grounded in Philly

[Updated] A US Airways flight bound for Bermuda this morning [Oct 7] has been grounded before takeoff from Philadelphia International Airport due to a security problem. Passengers were removed from US Airways Flight 1070 and the plane has been towed away and is being searched.

The international media is reporting that Philadelphia police say initial reports from the scene indicate a person lacking a security badge was helping load the plane.

Police told Action News that two US Airways employees were loading Flight 1070 to Bermuda.

A third man helped the two employees and, police say, he was in a US Airways uniform without identification. The man then walked away and can’t be found. Those two employees then alerted authorities, who stopped the plane.

Homeland Security, police and bomb squad members arre on the scene. There is no word yet on if anything dangerous was on the plane.

According to U.S. Airways spokesman Todd Lehmacher there were 102 passengers on board, it is unclear how many are Bermudians. There have been no injuries reported, nor any safety issues to the passengers.

It was only days ago that Bermuda had two planes grounded also due to a security issues, as 31-year-old Lorenzo Lottimore was found attempting to access a plane at 3am in the morning on September 28th. He plead guilty on October 1st, claiming he had entered the aircraft in order to get into the cockpit and study the aircraft’s ‘airport approach’ systems.

Update 5:08pm:[ Aaron Adderley, General Manager Department of Airport Operations said “We’re closely monitoring the situation in Philadelphia and have been advised by US Airways that flight 1070 is expected to arrive in Bermuda at 6.00 p.m., and with a quick turnaround, it will depart at 6.35 p.m. for its return to Philadelphia. Passengers and those meeting the flight in Bermuda are asked to contact the airline for any further updates.”

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