Two Men Pulled from DFW AA Flight

Flight bound for Washington, D.C.

Security concerns forced the cancellation of an American Airlines flight at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport Wednesday morning, according to airline officials.

AA Flight 1316, an MD-80 with 140 passengers aboard, was bound for Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Washington, D.C. when it was abruptly canceled shortly before takeoff.

Airport officials have confirmed two men were removed from the plane due to "suspicious behavior."

NBCDFW has learned the incident started after a passenger on board flight observed something that appeared suspicious to them, and notified crew members.

The Department of Homeland Security says that out of an abundance of caution, all passengers were forced rescreened and the plane swept while the passengers in question were interviewed by local law enforcement.

No threatening objects were found and the two passengers were released and allowed to rebook their flights.

NBCDFW also learned from a source at the airport that a bag was found to be suspicious after it was found to include a printer. With recent attempts to pack explosives into printer cartridges transported on cargo planes, the bag sparked concern.  There has been no official statement on the contents of any bags screened for Flight 1316.

Because of the length of time that process was taking, the airline opted to cancel the flight.  An airline spokesman said passengers were being re-booked on other flights. 

Mark White, with the Dallas FBI office, said the FBI would only get involved if the incident became more serious.  White said that airport-based FBI agents initially responded, but wasn't sure what role, they were playing in the investigation.

The incident comes during a time of heightened security awareness in the week leading up to the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.

NBC DFW's Scott Gordon contributed to this report.

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