Thread: Reports: NWA passenger was trying to blow up flight into Det

Posted: 2:26 p.m. Dec. 25, 2009 | Updated: 5:59 p.m. today
Reports: NWA passenger was trying to blow up flight into Detroit
By ZLATI MEYER AND NAOMI R. PATTON
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITERS

A senior U.S. counterterror official says a passenger aboard a Delta Air Lines flight in Detroit was planning to blow up the plane but the explosive device failed, the Associated Press reported today.


The official said the passenger was being questioned this evening. It was not immediately clear why the passenger wanted to attack the flight that was arriving from Amsterdam.


The passenger on a flight from Amsterdam to Detroit Metro Airport created a disturbance by lighting what was reported to be firecrackers -- or perhaps a "powdery substance" -- onboard the flight, injuring himself and several other passengers, according to Delta Airlines
The passenger was subdued and officials are investigating at Metro Airport.

FBI spokeswoman Sandra Berchtold confirmed today that agents are at Detroit Metro Airport, where the flight from Amsterdam landed.

ABC News reported on its web site that the man is Nigerian and claimed he was directed by Al Qaeda to explode a small device in flight over U.S. soil.

The man was apparently already on the government's no-fly list of suspected terrorists, ABC News said a senior intelligence official told them.

The Northwest plane, an Airbus 330, landed around noon Detroit time, CNN reported, and was carrying 278 passengers.

Delta spokeswoman Susan Elliott said most of the passengers were still being held at the airport as of 4:30 p.m.

Syed Jafry of Holland, Mich., said people ran out of their seats to tackle the man.

Jafry was sitting in the 16th row when he heard "a pop and saw some smoke and fire."

Jafry said there was a little bit of commotion for about 10 to 15 minutes.

He said the way passengers responded made him proud to be an American.

Passengers Richard Griffith of Pontiac said he was unaware of the incident until departing the plane.

He said he was sitting in the back of the plane and did not “see or hear anything.â€

Originally Posted by patbrunz

Posted: 2:26 p.m. Dec. 25, 2009 | Updated: 5:59 p.m. today
ABC News reported on its web site that the man is Nigerian and claimed he was directed by Al Qaeda to explode a small device in flight over U.S. soil.

How did he get on the plane if he was on the NO FLY list - Some problem in Amsterdam where they are very lenient about Muslim terrorists.

Originally Posted by judyweller

Originally Posted by patbrunz

Posted: 2:26 p.m. Dec. 25, 2009 | Updated: 5:59 p.m. today
ABC News reported on its web site that the man is Nigerian and claimed he was directed by Al Qaeda to explode a small device in flight over U.S. soil.

How did he get on the plane if he was on the NO FLY list - Some problem in Amsterdam where they are very lenient about Muslim terrorists.

Call me crazy, but one would think NO FLY means don't let the guy on the plane. Be that as it may, how in God's name did he get on with an explosive device? The people involved are lucky I'm not in charge.

Any airplane flying from Amsterdam to Detroit would be full of Muslims. If they want to kill crusaders they could have chosen a better flight.

Some news sources are claiming it was just a disturbance with firecrackers. Huh?

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2009-1 ... ate1-.html

Fox just reported that this character was Nigerian.

I heard that the Nigerian had 3rd degree burns and was taken to the hospital.

It's going to interesting to see how they charge him, especailly after the Fort Hood incident.........

The man was apparently already on the government's no-fly list of suspected terrorists, ABC News said a senior intelligence official told them



And they're talking about barring Americans with bad credit from flights?

Originally Posted by azwreath

[b]And they're talking about barring Americans with bad credit from flights?

This is news to me.