A PLANE passenger allegedly told his fellow travelers that his laptop was a bomb on a packed plane with more than 180 people on board.
Taj Taylor, 27, sparked panic when he allegedly made the chilling threat less than an hour into the Allegiant Air flight.
The Airbus 320 plane had left St. Pete-Clearwater airport in Florida and was supposed to head to Roanoke in Virginia on Sunday.
According to a Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office arrest report, Taylor, seated in the back row of the plane, reportedly informed a fellow passenger that his laptop was an explosive device.
It prompted the traveler to snatch the device off Taylor.
Six people on board the packed aircraft, which was carrying 177 passengers and six crew members, reportedly heard him make the threat.
Passengers on board the plane said they tried to keep their kids calm.
“My girls were looking at me, and one was crying pretty hard,” Tara Kamprath told the ABC affiliate WSET-TV.
Kamprath revealed her other child had eyes as big as dinner planes.
The plane returned to St-Pete Clearwater airport 40 minutes into the flight.
On average it takes around two hours to travel from St-Pete Clearwater to Roanoke.
Cops met the plane as it landed on the tarmac and arrested Taylor.
Police also searched his possessions and they didn’t find a bomb.
Taylor was quizzed and claimed he had experienced a “lack of clarity,” according to a FBI report seen by USA Today.
He strongly denied making any threats that he was carrying an explosive.
Taylor appeared in court on Monday on charges of false information and threats.
He could be hit with a fine of up to $25,000 as well as a five-year prison sentence.
Allegiant Air has spoken out about what unfolded on the plane.
“My girls were looking at me, and one was crying pretty hard
Tara Kamprath
“Allegiant does not tolerate disruptive behavior of any kind, so the decision was made to return to the airport,” a spokesperson told USA Today.
Passengers were deplaned before getting on a later flight.
The plane heading to Virginia left Florida five hours later than planned.
But, Allegiant has offered impacted travelers a $100 voucher.
It comes just weeks after a packed Hawaiian Airlines plane was evacuated over a bomb threat.
Travelers shared footage on social media that showed heavily-armed cops on board the aircraft.
One man was arrested, as reported by the Fox affiliate KSWB-TV.
