Honolulu-Bound Flight Diverted After Crew Discovers Box Cutter

The Associated Press ^ | AP-ES-09-30-01 2214EDT | The Associated Press

[TheOtherOne]

Honolulu-Bound Flight Diverted After Crew Discovers Box Cutter
The Associated Press
Published: Sep 30, 2001

LOS ANGELES (AP) - An American Airlines pilot made an unscheduled landing Sunday after crew members found a box cutter left on the plane by a catering employee.

Flight attendants found the box cutter in a food cart about 90 minutes after the plane departed from Dallas, said American Airlines spokesman John Hotard.

The captain decided to land the Honolulu-bound plane, carrying 220 people, in Los Angeles so every passenger could be screened again. About 3 1/4 hours later, the plane resumed its trip to Hawaii, said airport spokeswoman Nancy Castles.

The box cutter was imprinted with the name of the airline's caterer, Sky Chef. Airline officials called the company, and an employee said he had inadvertently left the knife on the cart.

"There's no big deal here," Hotard said. "It's just a guy who forgot his box cutter."

The terrorists who hijacked airplanes Sept. 11 apparently used box cutters and other small blades in their carryon baggage to take control of the jets.

AP-ES-09-30-01 2214EDT

[TheOtherOne]

Understatement of the year:

"There's no big deal here," Hotard (American Airline spokesman) said. "It's just a guy who forgot his box cutter."

[Illbay]

If we keep on like this, the terrorists have WON.

[hispanarepublicana]

I'm curious about something. Are hand mirrors or mirrored compacts also banned? I'm flying soon and curious about this. I mean, break one and it makes a great weapon. If I find myself on a plane in a hijack situation, I'm not going down without implanting half my mirror in someone.

[freedom4ever]

Paranoia will destroy ya!

[Rome2000]

All your box cutters are belong to us!

[vikingchick]

More paranoid thoughts: They should check the bathrooms on the planes and past the security gates for weapons too. Somebody could tape one in there like they did in The Godfather.

[StriperSniper]

Are hand mirrors or mirrored compacts also banned?

Yes, you now have to use a bowl (unbreakable plastic) full of water to look at yourself.;-)

[clintonh8r]

Correct. There's little doubt that the terrorists have infiltrated the airline catering and cleaning companies.

[zeugma]

This is absolute lunacy. Has everyone gone completely insane???????

[supercat]

What's going to happen when someone discovers on a flight that a box of in-flight meals, napkins, or something wasn't sliced open before takeoff?

[ChemistCat]

The only plane that can be hijacked with box cutters now is one filled with people going to the Quadriplegic Convention. We KNOW BETTER now. The old script is GONE. The first guy who stands up and starts talking about hijacking will be lucky if he isn't strangled by someone's belt before he gets the first sentence entirely out. If I've got shoelaces, my cane, a blanket....

[Tarheel]

...."There's no big deal here," Hotard said. "It's just a guy who forgot his box cutter."......

Under what rock has this American Airlines employee been hiding for the last twenty days? Not only is this remark insensitive it shows a complete disdain for the heightened state of alert that we all find ourselves this last few weeks.

Does this guy really deserve a job as a SPOKESMAN? He is a public relations nightmare!

The Tarheel

[dalebert]

Well now we know who put box cutters on planes. Do I trust that employee? No way.

[RasterMaster]

Perhaps they should screen their EMPLOYEES????!

[Eric Esot]

LOL

[fone]

Haven't thought about mirrors, but I understand that they are considering banning hot water for coffee and tea (throwing it in someones face can be a problem).

I can handle room-temp coffee, but I wouldn't want it to be served that way.

They can make weapons in prisons, I don't imagine it would be much effort to do the same with common available items and a decent nail file....
A decent can of hair spritz can blind you for a few minutes, what else --- pepper spray disguised as perfume, acrylic nails sharpened to points, hair bobs sharpened, the list goes on ad infinitum.

It's a cat and mouse game.

[mdittmar]

I think the stewardess should have just went to the front of the plane and said over the P.A. system,"Excuse me,has anyone misplaced their boxcutter?"

[abner]

They were probably waiting for the offending box cutter to get up and attack all 220 passengers simultaneously. Oh, the horror!

If we are that afraid of box cutters, what will we do when they get a hold of a broken glass, or God forbid a car?!!!?

The stupidity of this whole thing has really ticked me off. I keep telling people, "They highjacked 4 planes with box cutters. Think of the implications of this." I usually get the answer, "But, we were taught to comply with hijackers. Thats why this happened."

Give me a break, and think for yourselves people!

Rant over, FReepers not included.

[dr_who]

Voila. "Zero Tolerance America".