NEWS Virgin Atlantic Flight diverted and escorted to Canada because of hijack code

A hijack code coming from Virgin Atlantic Flight 45 from London to JFK Airport in New York resulted in the plane being diverted to Canada Friday morning.

The flight, carrying 271 passengers and 17 crew members, was diverted to Canada escorted by Canadian fighter jets scrambled by the North American Aerospace Defense Command. The jets intercepted the plane over the Atlantic.

The plane has now landed safely in Canada and police have been on board the aircraft to confirm there was no hijacking or danger to the passengers and crew.

The Virgin Atlantic pilot reports the code was a mistake and there was no hijack in progress. The latest reports are that the signal was possibly due to a mechanical error.

Despite the probable error, U.S. Homeland Security officials decided they would still not take the chance of the plane landing in the U.S.