Passengers on board a flight bound for Fort Lauderdale that had to make an emergency landing in Atlanta due to a “misunderstanding” over a prayer alarm are speaking out.
The Federal Aviation Administration said Southwest Airlines flight 2094 had left Nashville and was going to South Florida when it had to land at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport following a disturbance.
Video posted on Only In Dade shows several passengers putting their hands up and lowering their heads as law enforcement entered the plane and pulled out one passenger.
NBC News reported that the incident had to do with a passenger who had set a timer on his phone so that he could pray for Ramadan, the holiest month of the Islamic calendar.
Julie and Sarah Porter, a mother and daughter who were traveling to Fort Lauderdale for spring break, said things quickly went from confusing to frightening.
“They were running back and forth, they were running down the aisle,” Julie Porter said. “And I thought to myself, they really shouldn’t run, it makes me feel like something is going on… The next thing we know they’re just yelling at us.”
Cell phone video shows officers yelling: “Heads down, hands up!”
“We went from zero information to the SWAT team coming on the plane at gunpoint,” Sarah Porter said.
Video shows Sarah repeating, “Oh my God,” during the frightening encounter.
The Porters who were sitting a few rows away saw the moments the passenger was removed.
“I don’t think he said anything,” Julie Porter said.
“Yeah, he didn’t,” her daughter added.
A spokesperson for the FBI in Atlanta said there was no credible threat and no charges will be filed.
In the end, passengers were boarded onto another plane that landed at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport at about 3:30 a.m. Saturday. Passengers reportedly received a $200 voucher from the airline.
Southwest Airlines later said in a statement: “The Southwest Airlines Crew of Flight 2094 on Friday made the decision to divert to Atlanta out of an abundance of caution due to what turned out to be a misunderstanding of a Customer’s behavior. We sincerely apologize to our Customers for the misunderstanding and the significant delay. Nothing is more important to Southwest than the Safety of our Customers.”