[Reminder--Reuters doesn't like the word "terrorist."]

Thursday September 27 9:17 PM ET

Flight Returns to LA with F-16 Escort After Threat

By Dan Whitcomb

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - An Air Canada jetliner bound for Toronto returned to Los Angeles with an escort of two U.S. fighter jets on Thursday after a passenger caught smoking in the bathroom made an ``anti-American threat,'' airline officials said.

Air Canada Flight 792, a Boeing 767 with 148 people on board, landed safely at Los Angeles International Airport at 1:40 p.m. PDT (4:40 p.m. EDT) and the unruly passenger was taken into FBI (news - web sites) custody along with a companion.

The incident came as U.S President Bush (news - web sites) unveiled new security measures intended to coax Americans back into the skies after hijacking attacks on New York and the Pentagon (news - web sites).

And the plane, accompanied by two U.S. Air Force F-16s, landed as California Gov. Gray Davis (news - web sites) arrived at LAX for a press conference on airline safety, where he urged the people of his state to ``make flying a way of life again.''

An Air Canada spokeswoman said the passenger, who was not named, was ``apprehended smoking in the lavatory'' shortly after the plane's 12:40 p.m. PDT (3:40 p.m. EDT) departure.

``The passenger became verbally abusive and uttered an anti-American threat,'' Air Canada said in a statement.

``There was no physical aggression,'' the statement said. ''In-flight crew handled the situation professionally. The pilot elected to return to Los Angeles as a precautionary measure.''

The plane's crew alerted officials on the ground and the fighter jets were scrambled to intercept it.

Air Canada spokesman Dick Griffith said the FBI had asked the airline not to disclose the nature of the threat or any identifying information about the passenger who was detained.

POLICE WITH GUNS STORM PLANE

Local television stations reported that police in flak jackets and carrying automatic weapons guns stormed the plane to remove the passenger at the rear of the cabin, warning others on the plane to stay down and out of harm's way.

``Consistent with heightened security awareness, local authorities implemented stringent security measures,'' the statement said. ``Air Canada will not provide comments on details of security measures implemented by the authorities.''

Griffith said the plane taxied to a secure area of the airport before passengers were taken to a special holding room for interviews and all baggage inspected. Flight 792 was expected to make its flight to Toronto later on Thursday.

Gov. Davis carried on his press conference, where he announced that he would dispatch California National Guard troops to LAX and other airports in the state to help ensure safety and reassure travelers.

``I wasn't officially notified although we were about 5 minutes out when those two jets buzzed the airport, so I knew something was up,'' Davis told reporters at the press conference.

Griffith said the pilot followed procedure in returning to LAX after the disturbance, though he said the Sept. 11 hijacking attacks that left more than 6,500 people dead or missing ``had some bearing'' on the way the incident was handled.

Among the measures announced by President Bush on Thursday were the deployment of National Guard troops at U.S. airports, more armed ``air marshals'' in the skies and better security for cockpits.

However, Canadian Transport Minister David Collenette said on Thursday it was unlikely his country's airlines would have armed marshals aboard flights. Instead, the country preferred to boost airport security, he told reporters in Ottawa.

-- Anonymous, September 27, 2001