Airline passenger charged for making bomb joke

The airline passenger whose joke about a bomb caused authorities to shut down the main terminal at Alaska’s largest airport is a Colorado man who was in Anchorage to referee a college hockey game.

The Anchorage Daily News reports 44-year-old Peter Friesema was charged Sunday with disorderly conduct.

The incident began late Saturday night after a hockey tournament at the University of Alaska Anchorage.

According to the newspaper, Friesema was at the counter and noticed the airline agent placed his luggage sticker on his traveling companion’s bag.

Friesema pointed the error out to the agent, who replied that it didn’t matter because both were headed to the same airport.

The bags were already headed down the conveyor when Friesema replied “But my friend’s bag has a bomb in it,” the agent reported hearing him say.

Friesema recounted the incident differently claiming he asked “what if my friend’s bag has a bomb in it?” the newspaper reported.

Airline officials took the comment seriously and evacuated the terminal.

Friesema was arrested after he passed through security. The terminal reopened after about three hours.