Flight diverted to Salt Lake City after child discovers suspicious note

(SALT LAKE CITY) - An American Airlines plane was diverted to Salt Lake City Saturday after a suspicious note was found on board, the FBI said. <br><br>The plane was traveling from Portland to St. Louis

Sunday, March 24th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

(SALT LAKE CITY) - An American Airlines plane was diverted to Salt Lake City Saturday after a suspicious note was found on board, the FBI said.

The plane was traveling from Portland to St. Louis when a child found a note in the arm rest saying there was a bomb on the plane, said FBI spokesman Kevin Eaton. The note appeared to be in a child's handwriting. The word ``bomb'' was misspelled as ``boom,'' Eaton said.

The family, who was sitting in the first row of coach seats, alerted the flight crew.

The FBI said law enforcement officials may try to locate the passengers who sat in those seats on earlier flights.

The plane landed in Salt Lake City about 3:30 p.m. and was searched by bomb- sniffing dogs. Passengers were permitted to reboard the plane around 6 p.m.

``We've had the airplane totally checked out, all the luggage matched everybody and the FBI felt comfortable reloading,'' said airport duty manager Pat Hawley.

The diversion did not disrupt other flights at the airport.