'Plane goes boom' threat closed Kirkwall airport, court told

The threat was made to Kirkwall Airport in Orkney

A Dundee man forced the closure of Kirkwall Airport after telling a staff member "airplane goes boom" during repeated bomb threat calls, a court has heard.

Ross Buchan, 21, called the reception desk at the airport multiple times, telling the operator a "plane is going to crash into the airport" and that he had a friend on an incoming flight who could "get control of the plane".

The court was told that the calls led to the closure of the airport for more than three hours and all luggage on the Loganair flight from Glasgow was re-scanned.

Buchan, who appeared at Dundee Sheriff Court via videolink, previously admitted making the calls on 4 January and will be sentenced on 23 October.

Depute fiscal Joanne Ritchie told the court that at about 09:00 on 4 January a staff member at the airport received a number of calls from a withheld number but could not hear anyone on the line and hung up.

She received a subsequent call from a "young, Scottish monotone" voice, who said: "Boom. Airplane goes boom."

The woman continued her conversation with the caller, who said the plane was a 737.

When it was pointed out that size of plane did not operate at Kirkwall Airport, the caller replied: "You soon will, it's not going to be pretty."

The man called back naming the number of a flight from Glasgow to Kirkwall, saying it was going to crash into the airport "for the motherland."

The caller then stated he had a friend on the flight "to get control of the plane and can push a button."

He repeatedly called back and on another occasion said: "Up the Kremlin, for the motherland."

Airport closed for three hours

On the final occasion, the man called in again but when he was told the aircraft had landed safely, he hung up.

The court heard that airport security concluded that the calls were "not a credible threat" but the airport dismissed the advice and contacted the authorities.

The airport was subsequently closed for more than three hours and the luggage on the flight was re-scanned.

The calls were later traced by police to Buchan's phone and he was arrested.

Buchan, who has previous convictions for violence including assault and robbery, also admitted two separate charges of indecent communications to a 15-year-old boy and threatening and abusive behaviour.

Sheriff George Way called for social work reports and deferred sentence until 23 October.

He told the court that the bomb hoax charge carried a "far higher" potential custodial sentence limit than the sexual messages charges.

He said: "This is potentially a High Court matter - the maximum sentencing is beyond my powers."