Unclaimed cellphone sparks scare aboard American flight to Miami from Paris

An unclaimed cellphone found by an American Airlines crew member aboard a jet bound for Miami International Airport from Paris sparked an hours-long search of the plane by local and federal authorities, the FBI said.

“Upon further investigation, a passenger did finally come forward and claim the cell phone,” said Michael D. Leverock, Miami FBI spokesman.

The Miami-Dade Police Department's bomb squad responded Tuesday after “suspicious activity” was detected on an American Airlines flight arriving from Paris, police said.

By 6 p.m., about 2 1/2 hours after the plane landed, airport officials said the plane was cleared. The plane had landed at MIA, passengers were taken and put in buses, where they stayed in a remote area of the airport while officials searched the plane.

“The passengers are re-boarding the plane and it is taxiing to Concourse D, where the passengers will receive normal processing by U.S. Customs and Border Protection,” Airport Spokesman Greg Chin said in an e-mail.

Flight 63, a Boeing 777 from Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, arrived safely at MIA at 3:32 p.m., according to Alexis Aran Coello, corporate communications manager for American Airlines.

Coello said the plane, with 217 passengers and 14 crew members, was taken to a secure location and was searched by law enforcement.

“Law enforcement is investigating what appears to be a suspicious item discovered on board,” she wrote in an e-mail.

Leverock said no charges were filed and there was no concern for terrorism.

Carli Teproff: 305-376-3587, @CTeproff

This story was originally published December 15, 2015 at 5:05 PM with the headline "Unclaimed cellphone sparks scare aboard American flight to Miami from Paris."