10-Year-Old Causes Hijacking Scare on Alaska Airlines Flight from Seattle

(Seattle, WA) -- A 10-year-old caused quite the hijacking scare on an Alaska Airlines flight from Seattle to Orlando. Officials say the flight landed at Orlando International Airport yesterday, but sat on the runway for about an hour as officials surrounded the plane with guns and investigated an AirDrop message reporting the plane was hijacked. It turned out that the message was sent by the child from their electronic device as a prank.

Alaska Airlines released the following statement.

“After Alaska Airlines flight 16 from Seattle landed in Orlando, it parked remotely because of a potential threat that was later deemed non-credible. Police boarded and cleared the aircraft. The plane continued to its gate and passengers deplaned as normal. We take safety seriously and we apologize for the inconvenience for our guests.”

The child and their family were escorted off the aircraft. It is unlikely that the child will face any charges, as the minimum age for federal crimes that usually apply to planes is 11-years-old.