When the Captain of AirTran Flight 297 left the gate and was told a passenger would not put away a cell phone, he announced that there was a security issue and he returned to the gate.

It set off a barrage of blogs, emails, charges and countercharges.

Everything was up for grabs---from terrorism to a possible hijacking.

Thirteen passengers--all in the same group--were taken off Airtran Flight 297 when one of them would not put away a cell phone. He didn't speak English.

Only one in the group did.

When they deplaned--the Transportation Security Administration was there.

They cleared the group--saying it was a language issue, not security.

The FAA investigated the use of the cell phone, found nothing and closed the case.

But that didn't separate fact from fiction--now flourishing on the worldwide web.

One writer--who AirTran says was not on the Flight--posted an email that made its way around the globe and prompted scores of other messages.

"11 Muslim men got on the plane in full attire," the message said in part.

Brent Brown, a resident of Cobb County with 20 years in the security business, and a passenger on the Flight, said that statement was flat out wrong.

"They were dressed casually like the majority of people on the plane. They weren't dancing in the aisles. They weren't wearing Muslim garb. I can't tell anybody's religion anyway. All those comments were just wrong," he said.

A key issue says Brown, not knowing what was going on.

"It was probably an hour into the delay at this point that the head person from AirTran came on the P.A.---the first communication we had at all. Chaos had developed on the plane," Brown added.

Was Brown afraid for his life at any time?

"I did feel concerned for security and safety.

I've never felt this feeling before in 20+ years of flying. With post 9/11, we have to remember that it's a security situation and then the confusion of what was going on in the cabin without anybody talking to us in an official capacity," he said.

After a 2-hour delay--the 13 in the group reboarded--but the crew of 5 (2 pilots and 3 flight attendants), along with 12 other passengers got off the plane and refused to continue.

Brent Brown stayed onboard.

AirTran tells 11Alive that if they erred on when they told passengers what was going on---it was done on the side of caution.

The goal, they say is to alert passengers, not alarm them.

They took the side of caution and waiting for all the facts