What do you bet that Agent Doguim will be spending the rest of his career at a desk with a yellow highlighting marker going through telephone bills in white collar crime cases?
By PAM EASTON / Associated Press
HOUSTON (AP) -- An American Airlines flight was escorted back to Bush Intercontinental Airport by F-16 fighters Wednesday afternoon after what FBI officials initially reported to be an attempted hijacking.
"I understand that it is, it appears to be an attempted hijacking but I do not have that confirmed," said FBI spokesman Bob Doguim. "Until personnel out at the airport has a chance to talk with the air marshals that were on board and also interview whoever it is they determined needed to be pulled off that flight, I won't be able to confirm much more than that."
Flight 1720, with 50 passengers, departed Houston for Dallas at 12:28 p.m. but returned to Bush Intercontinental at 1:08 p.m. after reports of a disturbance on board. The flight's ultimate destination was Nashville, Tenn.
"The captain returned to Houston due to a potential security incident," said American spokesman Todd Burke. "We did have two federal air marshals on board. Our reports indicate the passenger involved has been removed from the aircraft."
Neither Burke or Doguim had any more details about the disturbance on board or if any weapons were involved. No injuries were reported.
Doguim said he did not want to speculate on what exactly happened on the plane.
"We should find comfort in the fact that there were federal air marshals on that flight and the quick response from personnel assigned out at the airport," Doguim said. "There's no need to alarm anybody with misinformation. We have it under control."