Posted on 07/12/2007 5:16:27 AM PDT by truthkeeper
CNN) -- An American Airlines flight from Los Angeles to London was diverted to New York early Thursday after a crew member became suspicious of one of the passengers, an airline spokeswoman said.
The crew member aboard Flight 136 -- scheduled to fly nonstop from Los Angeles International Airport to London Heathrow Airport -- questioned a passenger whom the employee had seen bypassing security by traveling on an employee-only bus from the parking lot to the LAX airport, according to spokeswoman Sonja Whitemon.
Following that conversation, the decision to divert the Boeing 777 was made, Whitemon said. The plane landed at New York's John F. Kennedy Airport about 2:30 a.m. ET.
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff told CNN an initial report he received from American Airlines indicated the passenger in question was actually an off-duty employee.
"I think they're still in the process of sorting this out," he said of airport officials. "It may turn out that this is nothing more than a misunderstanding with an employee who used an employee bus to get on a plane for a private flight.
"But the good news here is that you have somebody who's alert on the crew and they take appropriate steps at that point to deal with what might be a potentially dangerous situation," he added. "That's exactly what we are asking people to do: If you see something, say something."
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
Strange things going on...even after the “conversation” the plane was diverted?
And if it was innocently done, since when do airlne employees bypass security? If he/she did, a firing is in order.
They that are on their guard and appear ready to receive their adversaries, are in much less danger of being attacked than the supine, secure and negligent. - Benjamin Franklin
Thanks for linking that one.
“Whitemon told CNN the passenger is not an American Airlines employee....security officials boarded the plane and left with a man of “Middle Eastern descent.”
Chertoff is laughable with his “If you see something, say something.” motto. If you do, he and the president will brand you a racist, and the moslems will sue you.
Hey Chertoff...20 million foreigners have invaded my state. Now DO something, dammit!
These muzzies would indeed be braindead if they attempt another series of aircraft hijacks. Today is 7/12/07 nothing obvious there I think. I am willing to bet this incident is just an isolated Muslim that could be a test or a diversion.
Okay, there are about 5,000 illegal aliens in my town, who do I call?
I think it is pretty much a given that if anyone tries anything like that on an airplane the entire cabin will rise up and beat the crap out of them, no matter what it takes.
I recall from a previous thread some time ago, that some airlines had put a stop to this practice because it opens up the plane for an attack by insiders.
Not a bad policy if you ask me, look how the medical profession has been infiltrated by terrorist.
Look, somebody left our border wide open!
I read recently....in the past six months...that they’re back to allowing crew members to bypass security.
I’ve been retired since 2003, and I wasn’t based at Chicago’s O’Hare airport, but I know that once every employee there parks his/her car in the employee lot, entered by swiping a card, the employees boards a bus that takes them to the area of the planes or hangers....NOT ONE person, whether a pilot, mechanic, kitchen worker or cleaner, has to go through security. (TSA and “security” is upstairs. The areas where the bus dropped you off was downstairs, level with the planes, in a “secure” area (yea sure).
I was based at Newark. Although the employee parking lot was a short distance from the terminal, the only requirement to enter the parking lot was to show the guy in the shack (who sometimes was sleeping), a picture ID. (You could have shown him a fake ID...he would have NEVER known.) From the parking lot, you boarded a bus and same thing....the bus took you right into a “secure” area at the planes.
Believe me, all the security lines we stand in as passengers don’t mean a thing. I cringe when I have to wait to go through security because I know what’s going on downstairs. I just shake my head when someone says, “But I feel so much more secure that TSA is increasing security.”
I just found this when I tried to google how many employees are at O’Hare. I know there are thousands every day entering without going through “security.” Like I said, that’s not the only airport with that policy...it’s just that it’s so huge:
http://www.lockergnome.com/nexus/forsythe/2007/06/27/security-at-ohare-airport/
I hope so as I have to fly august! Into NYC!
need to confiscate computer, phone logs and detain all his muzzie contacts..repeat till you get back to Pakistan.
I saw someone walk away from luggage at PIT several months ago and reported it to the gate agent. A call was made, but nothing appeared to happen. I was wrong. There were people assembling and they approached from several directions. It was handled.....well enough to suit me. Must be an individual thing. Or maybe related to the size of the airport.
“I hope so as I have to fly august! Into NYC!”
Actually, the most dangerous part of your trip is in a car/van going to and from the airports.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.