Plane searched at Newark Airport

(Newark- WABC, August 25, 2006) (WABC) -- Port Authority Police have closed up their investigtion of a Continental Airlines jetliner that landed at Newark Liberty International Airport Friday afternoon, after an incident involving dynamite found in one passenger's luggage on an earlier leg of the flight.

It all started when FBI agents in Houston discovered a college student who was a passenger on the flight had dynamite in his checked luggage. The flight had originated in Argentina, and landed in Houston before continuing on to Newark.

The discovery of the dynamite was made after the flight had left for New Jersey.

After departing Houston, Flight 52 was kept from the terminal when it landed at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey about 1:40 p.m., said Marc La Vorgna, a spokesman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the airport's operator.

"It's been brought to a secure area of the airport for some additional security screening. Passengers are being bused to the terminal," La Vorgna said. "It had nothing to do with any individual passengers, from what I understand. This is more precautionary than anything else."

Officials say the person who had the dynamite in his luggage is a student from Connecticut and attends Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania.

"Certainly we are doing a thorough investigation and trying to find out what this individual's intention was in trying to bring dynamite here," FBI spokeswoman Shauna Dunlap said Friday.

Customs and Border Patrol and the FBI shut down the customs area and began questioning the passenger who had the luggage. The identity and age of the passenger, a man, were not released.

Hours later, Port Authority Police gave the all clear on the plane in Newark.

It's one of six known security incidents involving planes in the U.S. today.