More details. The episode started when a flight attendant called a friend on her cell phone (the plane was apparently still at the gate) and voiced her suspicion about a passenger who she thought was going to hijack the plane. The friend called the FBI who called the FAA who summoned airport security forces who surrounded the plane, and the three pilots bailed out the cockpit window, leaving the remainder of the crew and the passengers in the cabin. No explanation for why the flight attendant did not first speak to the flight crew or gate agents about her concern.
See:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A 60111-2001Sep20.html
[ 20 September 2001: Message edited by: SaturnV ]