Act of terrorism? - Curt Lewis

Fighters Escort American Jet After Attempted Cockpit Breach

• Passenger placed laptop near door as DHS considers wider ban
• F-22 fighters were scrambled to escort jetliner to Honolulu

 Fighter jets escorted an American Airlines plane to Honolulu after a passenger attempted to breach the hardened cockpit door.

Based on initial reports, the man placed a laptop by the entrance and tried to get through the reinforced barrier required on airliners following the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, said a person familiar with the matter. The Department of Homeland Security said it was prepared to help investigate the incident on Flight 31 from Los Angeles.

The incident added to fears about flight safety as the Trump administration has warned of a heightened risk that terrorists could use laptops to conceal explosives. Homeland Security is considering banning electronic devices larger than mobile phones from airline cabins on flights from Europe to the U.S. A prohibition was adopted in March for flights from 10 Middle Eastern and North African airports.

American's Airbus SE A321 jet landed safely at 11:35 a.m. local time, said Ross Feinstein, a spokesman for the carrier. Video posted to social media showed officers, including one with an FBI shirt, taking a handcuffed man off the plane.

Feinstein, in a subsequent email to Bloomberg News, said the plane was cleared to resume commercial flights.