Call of Duty Conversation Triggers Airport Evacuation

On November 8, passengers on a Frontier Airlines flight preparing to leave Ontario International Airport were evacuated after someone aboard heard a conversation mentioning a bomb and an explosion. The flight crew alerted authorities, and police responded at about 10 p.m. The east side of Terminal 2 was also cleared while the incident was investigated, and flights were held temporarily.

Police detained a passenger carrying a backpack. He told investigators he had used FaceTime to talk with a friend engaged in Call of Duty. The conversation referred to an in-game C4 explosion, police said. Investigators contacted the friend and confirmed the explanation.

A bomb squad and a bomb-sniffing dog searched the plane and nearby area. They found no explosive device or other sign of danger. Police said the conversation was about the video game and that no crime had occurred; the detained passenger was released.

Airport operations resumed after the investigation. Passengers had been taken off the plane during the search, and the airport said flights were held as a precaution. The incident ended without any explosives being found.