Airport suspends flights over ball bearing tester in bag

PENSACOLA, Fla. – A suspicious item found in a checked bag at a Florida airport turned out to be a ball bearing tester.

Before officials figured out what the item was Tuesday morning, Pensacola International Airport suspended all flights, detained three South Korean passengers and called in a bomb squad from a nearby county in the Florida Panhandle.

Pensacola police spokesman Mike Wood told news outlets there was a language barrier between the passengers and officials. But he added that the airport was never in any danger.

An interpreter spoke to the passengers, who were in Pensacola on business related to the device. They explained the ball bearing tester’s purpose and the airport received the all-clear.

Flights were suspended for about two hours.