Passengers land in Miami after bomb threat

MIAMI (WSVN) -- A security scare forced a South Florida-bound plane to turn around at the airport after an angry passenger allegedly made an explosive threat.

Airport security said Eron Hess, 44,  is responsible for creating a scare at a Newark airport that forced 167 passengers on a flight bound for Miami off the plane. "A few minutes after we left the gate," said Shari Sentlowitz, "the pilot announced that we needed to return to the gate for a small problem."

Port Authority Police said Hess and his family flew into Newark from a flight from Tel-Aviv. They arrived late and missed their connection to Miami. Their luggage, however, was already on the United airplane along with all of the other passengers. That is when, police said, Hess got mad and allegedly threatened a gate agent saying, "I'm going over to TSA and telling them I put a bomb inside of my luggage."

"They towed us to a remote part of Newark Airport," said Sentlowitz. "Then, they moved all of the passengers with all of our carry-ons, 20 at a time."

"After about half an hour, they explained to us that we had to get off the airplane and board a bus," said Mayra Santana.

Dogs sniffed every bag checked into the plane and security investigators searched for anything suspicious, mainly Eron Hess' luggage. "I was very nervous," said Santana, "because I really didn't know what happened."

Hess has been charged with creating a false public alarm.

All passengers arrived late but safely to Miami International Airport. "I'm very glad and happy," said Santana, "to live in this country where Homeland Security takes care of our safety."

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