(Trinidad Guardian) A Miami-Dade police department bomb squad was called out to check a suspicious package yesterday afternoon outside the gate of a Caribbean Airlines (CAL) flight at Miami International Airport. Miami Airport and US aviation authorities grounded and searched CAL flight 483 after a ticking noise was reportedly heard coming from luggage aboard the aircraft, CAL chairman Rabindra Moonan said yesterday. An airport spokesman said the suspicious package was discovered around 3 pm.
Moon an said the flight was due to leave Miami yesterday afternoon for T&T via Kingston, Jamaica, when the situation occurred. As a precautionary measure aviation authorities ordered passengers to disembark and Concourse J of the Miami International Airport was evacuated to a nearby area as they investigated. Moonan said some “hysteria” ensued when one passenger returned to the plane, apparently to retrieve a laptop computer.
Ten flights were delayed and two incoming flights were diverted to other gates. He said the owner of the suitcase from which the ticking noise was heard was found. Moonan said the luggage had been transferred from another aircraft. He said the owner told authorities the noise was coming from a musical instrument.
Moonan said the CAL flight was eventually allowed to leave and was to land in Piarco at 11.20 last night. Attempts were made to contact CAL’s corporate communications manager Clint Williams by telephone yesterday evening but he did not reply.
