Philadelphia Flight Grounded After Unidentified Baggage Handler Vanishes

An unidentified baggage handler prompted a Bermuda-bound flight out of Philadelphia International Airport to be evacuated Thursday.

According to police, 102 passengers and five crew members were removed from US Airways Flight 1070 around 11 am, after two baggage handlers that were loading the plane noticed that a third baggage handler was in uniform, but was not wearing a security badge. When confronted, the man vanished from the tarmac.

After the passengers were deplaned, the aircraft was towed to a secure area of the airport where police removed and checked each piece of luggage with the help of bomb-sniffing dogs. The plane was also checked for explosives, though no hazardous materials were found.

The incident is not expected to be terror-related, FBI spokesperson J.J. Klaver told The Associated Press, however the investigation is ongoing.

Todd Lehmacher, a US Airways spokesman, confirmed the search but would not comment on specifics, citing the continuing investigation.