[...] America West spokeswoman Patty Nowack said Tuesday the passenger was removed from the Tucson-bound plane and later placed aboard another flight.

"Safety is no joking matter. It is taken very seriously. we try to make the best decisions for all passengers based on what the situation is at hand," Nowack said.

San Francisco International Airport spokesman Ron Wilson said the incident occurred shortly after boarding when the woman asked flight attendants if they had "checked the crew for sobriety."

Wilson said the decision to remove the passenger was left to the airline.

Nowack said the crew decided to take the woman off the aircraft after determining that her remarks constituted a potential security problem. [...]