Air Canada Flight Diverted to Regina over Cellphone Worry

A cellphone that didn't seem to have an owner gave emergency crews a scare this morning and led to a flight being diverted to Regina.

The incident happened around 9:00 a.m. CST when the Air Canada flight from Edmonton was in the air over Saskatchewan.

A passenger who uses Twitter, Cathy Sawyer, said her plane was en route to Toronto, but was diverted to Regina because of a cellphone found on board.

Somebody found it in the waiting area in Edmonton, brought it aboard and then went around asking the passengers if it belonged to them, she said.

No one claimed it, so the plane had to make an emergency stop so the phone could be removed.

"We got an announcement overhead saying that we were going to land in Regina," Sawyer told CBC News.

By around 10:00 a.m., the phone was gone, the plane was being refuelled and passengers were waiting to continue their flight, she said.

"There were a few signs of exasperation, but otherwise people are in pretty good spirits," Sawyer said.

The plane departed Regina around 11:15 a.m.

Later on Wednesday a spokeswoman for Air Canada confirmed that AC 1156 from Edmonton to Toronto was diverted to Regina "strictly out of an abundance of caution due to a security concern after an unclaimed cellphone was located on board."

Angela Mah said there were 136 passengers on the plane and added that the company has identified the phone's owner.