What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
During descent, the lead flight attendant (a-fa) contacted the flight deck about a suspicious passenger. A passenger, seated in 13F, reported to both flight attendants (fa's), who were in the aft galley, that the passenger in 13D was looking at pictures of homemade bombs on his phone/how to put bombs together, group texting, and had started timing the flight on takeoff. He had also taken his timer to the forward lavatory. The captain instructed her to investigate the situation and inform him if they see anything unusual. The fa's searched the cabin and secured the lavatory. They reported back to the flight deck nothing unusual and the suspicious passenger was sleeping. The captain stated during final approach, ?things became unraveled.? The fa's reported to him that the ?passenger got up to reach something in the overhead bin. The passenger had something in his hand and was doing something with it.? Based on the reported information, the a-fa's ?concerned tone of voice,? And noise/commotion in the cabin he determined this could be a bomb. He declared an emergency to ATC and informed them they would evacuate the aircraft. The aircraft landed normally and commenced the evacuation.
The carrier reported additional information:
- The plane emptied in just around two minutes with half the passengers exited through door one-left (1L) and the other half through two-right (2L). Both exit doors and slides functioned properly and passengers exited in an orderly fashion.
- The fa?s experienced issues with crossing over to opposite doors one-right (1R) and two-right (2R) because of the passenger volume exiting fast and steady through doors 1L and 2L. They also noted passengers brought purses and/or backpacks to the exits. However, they tossed these out of the aircraft before passengers exited down the slides.
As the FAA filed it
DURING DESCENT, THE LEAD FLIGHT ATTENDANT (A-FA) CONTACTED THE FLIGHT DECK ABOUT A SUSPICIOUS PASSENGER. A PASSENGER, SEATED IN 13F, REPORTED TO BOTH FLIGHT ATTENDANTS (FA'S), WHO WERE IN THE AFT GALLEY, THAT THE PASSENGER IN 13D WAS LOOKING AT PICTURES OF HOMEMADE BOMBS ON HIS PHONE/HOW TO PUT BOMBS TOGETHER, GROUP TEXTING, AND HAD STARTED TIMING THE FLIGHT ON TAKEOFF. HE HAD ALSO TAKEN HIS TIMER TO THE FORWARD LAVATORY. THE CAPTAIN INSTRUCTED HER TO INVESTIGATE THE SITUATION AND INFORM HIM IF THEY SEE ANYTHING UNUSUAL. THE FA'S SEARCHED THE CABIN AND SECURED THE LAVATORY. THEY REPORTED BACK TO THE FLIGHT DECK NOTHING UNUSUAL AND THE SUSPICIOUS PASSENGER WAS SLEEPING. THE CAPTAIN STATED DURING FINAL APPROACH, ?THINGS BECAME UNRAVELED.? THE FA'S REPORTED TO HIM THAT THE ?PASSENGER GOT UP TO REACH SOMETHING IN THE OVERHEAD BIN. THE PASSENGER HAD SOMETHING IN HIS HAND AND WAS DOING SOMETHING WITH IT.? BASED ON THE REPORTED INFORMATION, THE A-FA'S ?CONCERNED TONE OF VOICE,? AND NOISE/COMMOTION IN THE CABIN HE DETERMINED THIS COULD BE A BOMB. HE DECLARED AN EMERGENCY TO ATC AND INFORMED THEM THEY WOULD EVACUATE THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED NORMALLY AND COMMENCED THE EVACUATION.
THE CARRIER REPORTED ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
- THE PLANE EMPTIED IN JUST AROUND TWO MINUTES WITH HALF THE PASSENGERS EXITED THROUGH DOOR ONE-LEFT (1L) AND THE OTHER HALF THROUGH TWO-RIGHT (2L). BOTH EXIT DOORS AND SLIDES FUNCTIONED PROPERLY AND PASSENGERS EXITED IN AN ORDERLY FASHION.
- THE FA?S EXPERIENCED ISSUES WITH CROSSING OVER TO OPPOSITE DOORS ONE-RIGHT (1R) AND TWO-RIGHT (2R) BECAUSE OF THE PASSENGER VOLUME EXITING FAST AND STEADY THROUGH DOORS 1L AND 2L. THEY ALSO NOTED PASSENGERS BROUGHT PURSES AND/OR BACKPACKS TO THE EXITS. HOWEVER, THEY TOSSED THESE OUT OF THE AIRCRAFT BEFORE PASSENGERS EXITED DOWN THE SLIDES.