Posted on 12/06/2009 11:30:27 AM PST by campfollower
slideshow In the age of balloon boys and party crashers, regular people just don't know what to believe any more.
Last week, I spent more than my share of hours trying to track down the truth about an incident on an AirTran flight out of Atlanta on Nov. 17.
Flight 297 to Houston, with about 70 passengers onboard, departed gate C-16 at 4:43 p.m. Until something happened that caused the pilot to turn around and come back.
Two and a half weeks later, the incident is in high dispute, thanks to some passengers who have spoken out on the Internet about what they say is a cover-up by AirTran and other transportation officials. This has been heating up since Tuesday, when one passenger's e-mail about the events he saw on the plane went viral, and the saga isn't over yet.
Initial media reports from Nov. 18 indicate the cause of the plane's turnaround was a single passenger who refused to turn off an electronic device. Some accounts said cell phone, some said video camera, but the bottom line is the flight crew felt something was amiss enough to turn around after they'd left the gate - no small occurrence.
In the now infamous e-mail (AirTran refers to it on their Web site www.inside airtran.com as "Flight 297 - Anatomy of an Urban Legend") a Texas man writes about an orchestrated attempt by a group of 13 men, which he characterizes as Muslim, to intimidate flight attendants and passengers.
His colorful description of the troublemakers boarding the plane, spreading out to their seats and then being uncooperative and verbally abusive toward flight attendants and other passengers hit my mailbox Tuesday, having been forwarded by the writer's friend, a former Marine and NASA employee, who also included his name, address and phone number.
Even as people scrambled to substantiate the e-mail, Muslim and leftist Web sites began characterizing the writer and anyone who thought it might have merit as "right wing racists." They immediately initiated a campaign to discredit and ridicule the writer, who actually had the audacity to speak boldly about the escalating fear and anger on the flight, though he admitted to me yesterday he'd taken artistic license with a couple points, never imagining it would travel beyond his circle of friends. He's not a journalist, and has no wish to become the next Joe the Plumber, he said.
His account, not intended for publication, focused on Arabic-speaking men using a number of tactics to upset the aircraft, such as taking photos of passengers, getting up and down from their seats at inappropriate times and intimidating others. The e-mail has, unfortunately, overshadowed the real story.
From AirTran, we know that the captain of Flight 297 felt it necessary to turn his plane around after leaving the gate. Once there the troublemakers were removed and questioned in what turned into a two-hour delay. And then, amazingly, all but two were allowed to reboard for the trip to Houston.
What ensued, according to the disputed e-mail as well as a new and highly credible eyewitness, was a small rebellion on board, with crew and at least a dozen passengers refusing to continue the flight.
Meanwhile, another Texas eyewitness, Dr. Keith Robinson, had been scheduled on the flight, but had missed his connection. He told his version of "the obvious commotion" at the gate, and added by phone he had offered his services as an ordained chaplain during the two-hour delay, but was rebuffed by AirTran officials.
"Gate agents expressed solemn concern" after the plane returned, he said, so he knew something was amiss. When the crew and a dozen passengers finally deplaned, some were openly sobbing and "anger and fear were etched on their faces."
Robinson, a good-natured man of God who formerly worked in restorative prosthodontics at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, eventually got on the plane.
"Chaplains are supposed to go where other people don't want to be," he explained. His account, also posted on the Internet, was written during the flight. He told me the Arabic-speaking men were quiet when he was on the flight, but that the tension was palpable. He believes the decision to allow the group back on the plane was based on fear of lawsuits.
"But is it inappropriate for Americans to stand together," he asked me, "draw a line in the sand and say this type of incident will not happen? Don't we have a duty to stand against this kind of intimidation?"
On Friday, AirTran spokesman Christopher White, formerly with the TSA, was snide and rude when I called to inquire about the incident. He refused to answer questions and referred me to the above-mentioned website, which is not an official statement from AirTran but a public rebuking of a customer's circulating e-mail. Note to Chris: putting a customer's writing on your site making him a target for death threats and ridicule seems rather irresponsible for a major airline. I hope someone reviews your qualifications as spokesperson.
Then, Saturday, AirTran went further, posting the assertion that the disputed e-mail writer from Texas, according to "legally binding" flight manifests, wasn't on the plane (just in case any of us believe the "urban legend" he supposedly made up out of thin air to get attention he isn't seeking,,, or something).
The e-mail writer told me today AirTran is lying and he has his boarding pass, but I'm beyond this by now, because I discovered another highly credible eyewitness to the incident was none other than Cobb businessman and security expert Brent C. Brown, CEO of Chesley-Brown International.
Brown, who is also chairman of the Marietta History Museum, confirmed late Saturday that he was on Flight 297 and that there was chaos on the plane. He believes the entire incident was mishandled by AirTran officials, though has kind words for the pilot, who he said, "was dead right" in his decision-making, and is to be commended for turning the plane around.
Seated in the third row in business class, he said it was obvious the suspicious men were interacting with each other and refusing to sit down, grounds for the pilot's decision.
Once back at the gate, however, Brown says there were no law enforcement officials visible (this contradicts the Texan's e-mail) and airline officials weren't talking to the passengers, who were openly upset and refusing to fly.
"The tension on board was incredible," Brown said. The men who came back on board after questioning were belligerent and smirking, and the people who got off, he confirmed, were traumatized.
So the story evolves. And in this age of jihadi Army officers and internet hoaxes, us regular folk continue to seek the truth.
Lbarmstrong3378@comcast.net
Debunked? This "whole thing" has NOT been debunked. Read the article.
After reading your three postings to FR I have to wonder if you're sympathetic to the "magical terrorist" types.
Do you fly?
I used to fly for work
I tried to claim my flight miles and they told me I never went to China
I insisted they get in contact with United’s real manifests, not the copy they use for their flight club
they insisted it was the same database
I had to provide confirmation numbers to prove I took their flight. Their manifests didn’t have my name but the confirmation numbers of their money system did
So, tell me wise one? Do you fly?
Where have you flown? Ever had to prove you were on a plane?
there’s 3 witnesses now
you need to read more of the thread
or maybe read it once
You apparently just want to believe one thing. The truth is not always as a large company pretends it to be
3 people saying this?
And we KNOW the plane was delayed?
However, I am still waiting to hear from more people, like the 12 to 20 or so that got off, too.
Another coverup by obamamuzzie and his thugs.
This is nothing specific to Obama. Events like this were covered up by the two previous administrations as well. This is not a partisan issue, its a nanny state government verses the people.
thanks thanks.
The Marietta Daily Journal is screening the comments section. No comments posted so far, even after I posted mine earlier today.
1: The Houston guy who missed the flight and wrote the original e-mail. He was on approach to ATL on another flight, 22 min away from landing when flight 297 pushed off gate. he admits “artistic license’ in describing things he never could have seen ,lying about seeing them, and he is the only one who described them as Arabs or speaking Arabic.
2: Dr. Keith Robinson. In written statements he has said he only came up to gate after plane had returned to gate. he says, in writing, he saw nothing firsthand.
3: “Cobb businessman and security expert Brent C. Brown, CEO of Chesley-Brown International.” Security “expert?” He owns a guard and burglar alarm company. He says he was there, and mentions nothing about Arabs or Arabic.
It's all overblown BS. Let's save our worry for the real problems. There are more than enough of them.
There are some MAJOR problems with this story.
In Petruna’s email he says:
“Due to the amount of people who got off that flight, it was cancelled. I was supposed to be in Houston at 6pm. I got here at 12:30am. Look up the date. Flight 297, Atlanta to Houston. “
So, I DID look it up.
Checking on www.flightstats.com shows that, indeed, FL 205 arrived at the gate in Atlanta at 5:06pm. That same site shows 297 was scheduled for departure at 4:43pm and actual departure was 7:08. I cannot confirm at that site whether the flight left the gate at 4:43 and returned, but that is what ALL accounts say, including Petruna.
Note he says the flight “was cancelled”; FAA records above show that it was NOT cancelled and arrived in Houston at 8:42pm. The flight duration is 2hr34min (scheduled), so that means that FLIGHT 297 ARRIVED IN HOUSTON BEFORE PETRUNA LEFT ATLANTA (arriving at 12:30am as he says)!
Interestingly, AirTran’s final flight of the day from ATL to HOU landed, on time, at 10:14pm. In other words, there was no AirTran flight that got into Houston after 10:14pm that day. He couldn’t have landed at 12:30am, or within 2 hours of that time.
How could a “first hand witness” have so many factual errors?
Another problem: Petruna says he “has the boarding pass”. He was probably issued the connecting boarding pass in Akron-Canton, thus it doesn’t show whether he was on the flight or not. We’ve all ended up with unused boarding passes when we miss a connection.
What would be much better “proof” is if he has a boarding pass from Akron-Canton to Atlanta on a flight OTHER THAN FLIGHT 205, which is documented to have landed after this incident took place. He could ONLY have witnessed this incident if he took a flight EARLIER than FL 205, which AirTran says he was on.
Those rag heads can’t get a real job so they have to screw with our system and sue someone so they can make a living.
Actually, Dr. Keith Robinson said in his written statement, “After 6-7 officials exited the door, suddenly it flew open and 12-15 people from the flight hurried off the plane. Anger and fear was etched on their faces as they jerked their carry-on and tore into their computer bags to schedule another flight out of Atlanta.”
He also reports speaking with one of the passengers who told him that approximately 12 Middle Eastern men were speaking loudly in Arabic on the plane and that they refused to be seated when the flight crew told them to take their seats.
He also reports that the flight crew was visibly shaken, red faced and in tears as they left the plane.
In addition to his report, Doug Hagmann also wrote about this and confirmed with additional witnesses. From his article, “Having interviewed a total of seven-(7) individuals directly involved in this incident over the last several days, including two law enforcement officers who handled the after action reports, the situation pertaining to the initial 13 and remaining 10 or 11 Muslim men allowed to continue their travels was far greater than an incident involving the unauthorized use of a cell phone that resulted in a minor flight delay, as reported by the mainstream media.”
So, according to Douglas Hagmann SEVEN witnesses were interviewed and something more than unauthorized use of a cell phone did occur.
For another thing, you are minimizing what Dr. Keith Robinson has said and written about this flight.
He did get on the plane after it returned to the gate and he saw the Middle Eastern men with his own eyes and witnessed their behavior as well as the behavior of the other passengers that remained on the flight.
Dr. Robinson wrote in his report, “When I boarded the plane, the air was tense and filled with emotion. Many of the passengers were obviously upset and at wits end.”
He goes on to describe odd behavior from the Middle Eastern men during the duration of the flight and the anxiety of the passengers and flight crew.
That's my take as well. Any time these Muzzie apologists resort to that tactic, you know something is behind it.
I feel for the guy who wrote the email, even this article states, “They immediately initiated a campaign to discredit and ridicule the writer, who actually had the audacity to speak boldly about the escalating fear and anger on the flight”.
It sounds to me like a case of, “You work for the Government and when the Government tells you, ‘shut-up or you lose your job”, what do you do in this economy?
Show me where you prove point #1
On Point 2, he does claim activity while at the gate, people’s responses as they exited which would confirm the first witness, but you seem to freely ignore, and he also claims activity of the men remaining on the rest of the flight, something else you freely ignore
As for #3, that is surely more than you, I’d bet, as far as security background. What is his military record, and why would that even mattter if HE was there and me and you weren’t??
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