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Passenger Calls MIA Security Scare Over Cell Phone 'Uneventful'

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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – A misplaced cell phone caused a security scare at Miami International Airport Tuesday. And investigators blame it for having to search an entire airplane and screening all the passengers.

"It was, I think, uneventful. There was no panic whatsoever even in the airplane," a passenger, who identified herself only as Mika, told CBS4's Hank Tester.

Mika was one of 217 passengers on flight American Airlines 63 from Paris.

As passengers finally cleared Customs, they all had basically the same story. It was all about a cell phone. It's what brought the bomb squad, Homeland Security and the FBI to investigate.

According to MDPD, an American Airlines flight attendant found a cell phone in her bag that did not belong to her.

"They found the phone and then when asking everyone on the trip, 'Who is this phone?' And that's it," said a passenger.

The FBI said no passenger would come forward to claim the phone. In this day and age that's all it took – the alert sent out.

The plane was moved to a remote area of the airfield as the agencies investigated.

And after hours of searching and screening, the FBI finally called the all clear.

The FBI's statement read, in part:

"Upon further investigation, a passenger did finally come forward and claim the cell phone. No charges were filed and there was no nexus to terrorism to the incident."

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