No shoe bomb, FBI says

Authorities now deny that an airline passenger from Washington, D.C., to DIA tried to light a shoe bomb on fire during a flight tonight to Denver.

Jerry DeMarco

04/08/2010 3:32 a.m.

ABC News reports that federal air marshals on the flight stopped and restrained the man, who was a passenger on United flight 663 from Reagan National Airport to DIA tonight.

United flight 663 landed in Denver at 7:21 p.m., reports say. Two jet fighters flew in from Buckley Air Force Base to meet the flight as it flew the final 40 miles to Denver, federal authorities said.

The suspect is identified as Mohammed al Modadi, a diplomat in the Qatar embassy in Washington. The FBI said he has full diplomat immunity as the 3rd secretary and vice-consul.

There were 157 passengers and six crew members on the flight, the FAA reports.

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