A US Airways plane has made an emergency landing in Philadelphia after a bomb scare on board. A passenger thought prayer straps being used by a Jewish man were explosives.

The prayer straps (tefillin) have small black boxes attached to them which contain copies of sacred texts. The straps are placed on the arm and head by some Jewish men during morning prayers.

The plane was flying from New York to Louisville. Since the failed attempt to blow up a transatlantic flight on Christmas Day, there have been an increasing number of false alarms about airline bombings.

photo: US Airways plane (Flickr / Matt.Hintsa)