Suspicious Activity Delays LAX Flight to New York

NBC New York ^ | Mon, Sep 28, 2009 | SCOTT WEBER and JONATHAN LLOYD

[nickcarraway]

At least two passengers were removed from an LAX flight bound for New York's Kennedy Airport after a man insisted on using the restroom just before takeoff.

According to LAX spokesperson Nancy Castles and passengers, United Flight 22 was preparing for takeoff when a passenger said he needed to use the restroom. An attendant asked the passenger to sit but he refused. The attendant considered the passenger's behavior suspicious and alerted the captain. The plane returned to the gate. Authorities removed two men and took them into custody, according to LAPD spokesperson Lt. John Romero. Passengers reported a third person was removed as well.

Passenger Describes Disruption Aboard LAX-JFK Flight Passenger Charlie Rosene was seated two rows behind a passenger that was removed from the plane.

"I was sitting in Row 25, the first guy who was taken off was in Row 23," said Rosene at about 11:30 a.m. "It was 30 seconds before takeoff, and he jumped out of his seat and said, 'I need to go to the bathroom. I need to go to the bathroom.' The flight attendant called that out and saw that as a red flag. He said, 'I'm going.'"

Rosene said the passenger was in the restroom for about 30 seconds. He said the man returned to his seat. The plane was later moved to a second gate where the pilot told passengers they would be rescreened as a precaution.

The FBI, which is investigating the case, released a statement Monday afternoon.

"A passenger did not comply with airline regulations,'' said the FBI's Laura Eimiller. "The captain of the plane made a discretionary decision to delay departure to that the situation involving the passenger could be investigated.

"There is currently no identifiable threat to the plane or to the passengers. The passenger is being interviewed in connection with the incident, and is cooperative.

"Out of an abundance of caution, the passengers and their carry-on luggage are being re-screened, and the LAPD Bomb Unit has conducted a precautionary search of the aircraft. No criminal charges are anticipated, and the plane will depart to New York as soon as the searches/screening process is concluded." The plane departed for New York at 12:30 p.m., said Katherine Alvarado of LAX, after a re-screening process was concluded and the plane checked out.

[DrGunsforHands]

Fear of flying could definitely make someone have to go to the bathroom. Other scary possibility is anal-cavity bomb. Some guy tried that a couple months ago with royalty in the middle east. Guy detonated, but only killed himself. Human body can absorb a lot of energy. Hopefully, not related.

[Jemian]

This is the incident I was talking about.

[Blue Jays]

He should have gotten all wee-wee'd out into a large Nalgene container or just held it until reaching altitude. ;-)
One could see both sides of the discussion. The guy could have been a diabetic running a high sugar for all we know and needed to go frequently.

[plinyelder]

Was he Amish?

[OrangeHoof]

Fly the Friendly Skies of United...

I sense a plot line for a new Avodart commercial.

Seriously, though, the captain did the right thing. Better to be safe and the dude really should have exercised some bladder control.

[stevie_d_64]

When you gotta go, you gotta go...

But to once again exercise caution and re-screen everyone for a couple of stupid people that you have already handled...

Thanks...You guys (TSA, airlines and our government) are just soooooooo smart...Everyone is a terrorist at that point, considering your logic...

Good thing I don’t fly much anymore...But then again that reality would make me a terrorist for being so negative about the “new norm”...

Can’t have that...I’ll probably be needing indoctrination according to some...;-)

[Arthur McGowan]

If he’s Muslim, he has to sit down. If he’s a normal person, he can go. What’s so complicated?

[GVnana]

Agreed.

[Maurice Tift]

  We call our congressman The Whiz!

[Blue Jays]

If he was willing to urinate into a bucket while standing in the aisle of the jetliner and then promptly retook his seat, we would know he was being honest! ;-)

[nickcarraway]

Yikes.

[fifedom]

This is a ridiculous over-reaction on the part of the airline and the Feds. So the guy had to go-BFD. To arrest the guy and apparently someone who was traveling with him is idiotic. We are prisoners in our own land.

And notice the Politically Correct article does not mention the ethnicity of the 'perp'. I agree that if he was dark-skinned and looked like an Arab, they may have had some justification. But not to rescan everyone. That is actually an admission on the TSA's part that their screening procedure is worthless and you can get anything you want past their civil service screeners.

I hate driving long distances but with all the hassle of getting searched at airports, nickel and dimed by the airlines, and now rental car rates have gone through the roof, the balance has shifted to driving any place within 1000 miles.