Pilots stabbed in attack on New Zealand plane

Reuters ^ | Feb 7, 2008 | Adrian Bathgate

[RDTF]

WELLINGTON (Reuters) - A woman passenger on a New Zealand commuter plane stabbed both pilots and threatened to blow up the 19-seat aircraft, police said on Friday. The attack on the pilots, who were not seriously hurt, happened about 20 minutes into the flight between the South Island centers of Blenheim and Christchurch, police said.

The plane landed at Christchurch, where police with dogs boarded it and arrested a 33-year-old woman, who is originally from Somalia.

The woman was in police custody in Christchurch but the motive for the attack was still unclear, Canterbury District Commander Superintendent Dave Cliff told Reuters.

"Once the full statements are taken from the pilots and the witnesses we'll be able to get a full picture of what happened, but at the moment we're going through the process," Cliff said.

The plane was left on the runway while a bomb squad was called in, but no bomb was found on board, Cliff said.

The two pilots were taken to Christchurch hospital but their wounds were not life-threatening. One passenger and the woman were treated for minor cuts.

-snip-

[RDTF]

33-year-old woman, who is originally from Somalia.

[IrishCatholic]

A disgruntled Mormon upset at Romney’s treatment?
A berserk evangelical upset at Huckabee’s distant second?
A Catholic that couldn't get the pilot to land near a Cathedral for Ash Wednesday?

Gee, I’m all out of choices as to motives...

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

If I were on that flight, there would be one less 33-year-old woman, originally from Somalia...

[RDTF]

interesting tidbit is she did it almost immediately after take off

from article:
The flight took off from Blenheim at 7:20 a.m. (1:20 p.m. ET on Thursday) and the pilots sent a distress call at 7:40 a.m.

[mylife]

Motive? hows about lunatic Muslim?

[Neidermeyer]

Motive? hows about lunatic Muslim?
***************************************
YOU RACIST BIGOT!!! Why would you even suggest that a woman from Somalia, where Christians are sliced and diced by machete wielding Muslim street gangs would be a fellow member of the ROP.

[mylife]

I dunno? just a hunch? ;0)

[Zathras]

There is zero security at Wellington, NZ.
We boarded by walking onto the tarmac and waiting for the plane.

[river rat]

I guess we’ve become too civilized to have dealt with this Turd World escapee in a manner suitable to the situation.....

[rbosque]

WOW! Who would have thought Muslims were so violent!

(LOL)

[CORedneck]

The lax security kind of surprised me when I was in NZ in Dec 2006/Jan 2007. I flew from Auckland to Christchurch. I went from the international terminal where I came in from LAX to the domestic terminal. When I went through their security, I didn’t need to take my laptop out or remove the shoes. I really liked NZ and would love to return sometime.

[DoughtyOne]

I’ve never heard of a woman being drawn and quartered on a plane, but this sounds like a good reason to. If they were at low altitude, I’d be voting to drop her off at location, part by part.

I don’t countenance terrorists with much sympathy in case anyone wondered.

[DJ MacWoW]

Dude she was Amish. They wouldn’t let the horse and buggy on the plane.

[Oorang]

Thanks much for the info RDTF.

[spanalot]

I imagine the other passengers were flightless kiwis

[Oorang]

This article states ...that an electronic device was found on board the plane.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/02/08/2157390.htm

Additional details from another source:
SCOOP EDITORS NOTE: Alison McCulloch says that the release is incorrect insofar as the Domestic Terminal is concerned. This is not open to passengers and passengers have been moved away from windows.

(Further report) The plane is now parked on runway used in north westerly winds quite a way from the terminal. It has some cars around it and some people crouching as if in fear of it blowing up.. Police with dogs are searching the terminal building. And police have said they are searching the plane for a bomb.

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0802/S00085.htm

[El Gato]

Umm, how did she get into the cockpit to be able to stab the pilots. Don't the Kiwis require reinforced and locked cockpit doors? I do see that it's small commuter type, some of which almost don't have a door or a bulkhead, between the passenger area and the cockpit. At least they didn't use to have them. All the one's I've flown on recently, Saab 340/340B turbo props which have 33 or 34 seats.

But this one was smaller yet, only 19 seats. The article says it's a Jetstream and the capacity makes it a -31 or 32. This a Jetstream 32 in Ansett New Zealand colors, although there is one other NZ operator, Origin Pacific)

This is veiw of the cockpit from the passenger area in a Polish (LOT) version. As you can see, no door, just a curtain.

Photo is date December of 2007.

Larger version of second photo.

[RDTF]

wow

[exit82]

The Amish should not be allowed to fly.

Especially if they’re from Somalia.