Northwest jet escorted because of threatening note

ROMULUS, Mich. (AP) -- Fighter jets escorted a Northwest Airlines flight with 78 people on board to Detroit Metropolitan Airport on Thursday morning.

Flight 191 from Reagan Washington National Airport to Minneapolis was diverted to Detroit Metro and landed at 10:12 a.m., Northwest said in a statement.

The airplane, an Airbus A320, received the escort because of a threatening note, the airline said.

"The passenger was thumbing through the magazine pouch and reads a note indicating that there was a bomb on the plane," said FBI Special Agent Hank Glaspie.

The note then was turned over from a flight attendant to the captain, who was directed to land the plane at the nearest airport, Glaspie said.

No bomb was found on the aircraft, said FBI spokeswoman Maria Llompart.

"We're trying to figure out when it (the note) got there," Llompart said.

The airplane was expected to continue to its final destination, she said.

"It appeared that the plane did not pose a threat, and they were continuing its investigation of passengers and crew," Llompart said.

The fighter jet escort came from Selfridge Air National Guard Base, in Macomb County's Harrison Township.

"Our aircraft from the 107th fighter squadron did respond to a request from NORAD, North American Air Defense Command, today," said Selfridge spokeswoman Alice Herrington.

Federal agencies were at the airport conducting an investigation, which included interviewing passengers and flight crew, Glaspie said.

Major Barry Venable, a spokesman for NORAD, said the Federal Aviation Administration makes the decision if an airplane needs military assistance.

"They are responsible for domestic air space control, said Venable.