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Keith McCord ReportingPassengers on a United Express flight from Oregon to Denver had a few anxious moments this morning when an unruly passenger caused the pilot to divert the flight to Salt Lake.
The woman got into fights and scuffles on the flight, and no one is really sure why, but it made a lot of the passengers nervous. She didn't stop once the plane landed here, either.
United Express Flight 6664 was on its way from Eugene, Oregon to Denver this morning. Passengers say a woman started acting strangely.
Passenger: "I guess she attacked the passenger sitting next to her and ripped her headphones out, and started pulling her hair."
A flight attendant restrained the woman and the pilot notified Salt Lake and asked for clearance to land here.
Greg Bretzing, FBI, Salt Lake City: "In the process of landing the aircraft, she approached the flight deck. A flight attendant intervened; there was an altercation between the subject and flight attendant."
Passenger: "The lady grabbed her hair and ripped out one of her earrings, and started screaming."
Law enforcement officers were waiting at the gate and took the woman into custody, but she wasn't cooperative with them either.
Greg Bretzing: "She's escorted off the aircraft, she briefly attempts to flee from the Salt Lake City police department. They rapidly bring her under control, at which point she makes the comments, among others, that there's a bomb aboard the aircraft."
The passengers were then evacuated and bussed to the terminal, where FBI agents interviewed them. Police used dogs to search the plane. Nothing was found and the passengers were then allowed to re-board and continue on to Denver.
The woman is identified as 35-year old Bogdana Geogieva. Authorities did not list her hometown or what the reason was for her actions. They sent her to the University of Utah Hospital for observation. She's facing federal charges of interfering with a flight crew.
