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Passenger Behavior Prompts Northwest to Divert Flight
Minneapolis Star Tribune ^ | 9/12/02 | Liz Fedor

Posted on 09/11/2002 11:43:06 AM PDT by Paul Ross

Edited on 04/13/2004 3:37:11 AM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]

A Northwest Airlines flight from Memphis, Tenn., to Las Vegas was diverted to Arkansas this morning after the flight crew raised concerns about the behavior of some passengers.

Northwest spokeswoman Mary Beth Schubert said four of the passengers were detained by authorities.


(Excerpt) Read more at idea.startribune.com ...


TOPICS: Breaking News; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: middleeasterners; terrorism
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To: finnman69
THREE men in an airline lavatory? That aint mile high club I bet. Plus how do you even get three people in that tiny space?

Who said only one stall? Every sizeable plan has multiple facilitis, each of which could probably fit two people without much of a struggle and three if you were determined.

21 posted on 09/11/2002 12:13:31 PM PDT by YoungKentuckyConservative
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To: Shermy
Thanks . . .
22 posted on 09/11/2002 12:14:51 PM PDT by LikeLight
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To: L,TOWM
>>>>No wonder the airlines never wanted air marshalls. Bad press.<<<<<

WHAT????? The airlines begged for Air Marshals and lots of them.
23 posted on 09/11/2002 12:15:22 PM PDT by StolarStorm
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To: LikeLight
From NBC station in Fort Smith:

http://www.arkansasnbc.com/index2.shtml

Fort Smith -- Federal officials, speaking on a condition of anonymity, now say today's diversion of a passenger flight to Fort Smith's airport was not related to terrorism. Northwest Airlines says the plane will take off for its destination once baggage is rescreened.


State emergency management spokeswoman Jennifer Gordon says four men acted suspiciously during the flight, and they locked themselves in a bathroom on the aircraft. Officials negotiated with the four, and Gordon now says the four, along with passengers and crew from the plane, are now all off the aircraft.

The airline said members of the flight crew became concerned about the passengers' behavior and were unable to resolve the situation in the air. Northwest Airlines says pilots decided to land at Fort Smith's municipal airport as a precaution.

Minneapolis television station KSTP, where Northwest Airlines is based, cites an unnamed source as saying the men were "shaving themselves clean." A source speaking on condition of anonymity told The Associated Press that people aboard the airplane gave early-arriving investigators similar accounts.


After last year's terror attacks, documents taken from the luggage of attack leader Mohamed Atta gave what appeared to be instructions for the suicide hijackers. The instructions said "The previous night, shave the extra hair from the body."

The federal Transportation Security Agency says the FBI has begun interrogating the three men.

Sgt. Jarred Copeland of the Fort Smith Police Department tells us that none of the passengers onboard the airplane were harmed in any way. Many passengers did appear to be shaken and distraught as they exited the airplane.


The four passengers who were led away from the airplane were fully cooperating with authorities and were led away in handcuffs.

As soon as the plane was surrounded, the Fort Smith Police Department closed Savannah Street, which borders the airport.

When asked if weapons of any kind were in possession of the four men, Sgt. Copeland could not comment on this matter.

Northwest spokeswoman Mary Beth Schubert says Flight 979, an Airbus A-320 bound from Memphis, Tennessee, to Las Vegas, departed at 8:47 a.m. Central time and was scheduled to arrive at Las Vegas at 10:19 a.m. Pacific time.

An Airbus A-320, depending on how it is configured, can carry up to 179 passengers. Today's flight had 94 passengers and a crew of five.

The airport was closed for 30 minutes, and the military says NO fighter jets were scrambled to escort the Airbus A-320.


This is a developing story and more details will be made available shortly.
24 posted on 09/11/2002 12:16:07 PM PDT by Shermy
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To: FormerLurker
THREE men in an airline lavatory?

Brave martyrs taking one for the team.

25 posted on 09/11/2002 12:16:17 PM PDT by Dead Dog
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To: StolarStorm
Please direct your reply to kinghorse.
26 posted on 09/11/2002 12:16:37 PM PDT by L,TOWM
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To: LikeLight
Maybe they were shaving each other in the bathroom. Weird.
27 posted on 09/11/2002 12:18:07 PM PDT by Shermy
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To: Shermy
I think it's fair to say there is more to this story . . .
28 posted on 09/11/2002 12:19:07 PM PDT by LikeLight
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To: LikeLight
I've come to learn that anything to do with airlines is covered up pretty well. They got a strong lobby. Heck, they got an agent in Tom Daschle's bed!
29 posted on 09/11/2002 12:20:55 PM PDT by Shermy
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To: eno_
No word on the ethnicity or religiosity of the individuals,

From the above article:

Jim Harris, a spokesman for Gov. Mike Huckabee, said the three men appeared to be of Middle Eastern descent.

30 posted on 09/11/2002 12:21:37 PM PDT by cyncooper
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To: Paul Ross
Three men acting strangely? Moe, Larry & Curly. Now you get out of the head this minute! Whoop, whoop, whoop, whoop, whoop! ROFLMAO
31 posted on 09/11/2002 12:22:17 PM PDT by kellynla
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To: finnman69
THREE men in an airline lavatory?

Rub-a-dub-dub?

32 posted on 09/11/2002 12:22:46 PM PDT by jimfree
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To: CatoRenasci
On board the flight from Japan to Vietnam in Jan of 1969, the stewardesses threw one hell of a party.

They flirted with all of the troops, conducted sing alongs, told stories, allowed the guys to take over the microphone and sing.

At one point, the pilots got into the act by leading us in a song over the intercom, and during the chorus (I don't remember the song) he had the plane swinging back and forth.

I remember vividly, one of the stews had on a plastic apron, and she had put on the front of it in magic marker, "GOD BLESS THE USA".

One of the troops got a little out of line, and the stewardess made him get up in front of the entire plane and repeat what he had said. As he finished repeating what he said, the stewardess behind him who had filled a bucket of ice water, dumped it over his head. Everybody, including the trooper thought it was great fun.

I talked to the stewardesses after we landed in Bien Hua, and she said that they always tried to make that leg of the trip fun, because of what the troops were going to face for the next 12 months. One of them, with tears in her eyes said something I'll always remember. She said " I wonder how many will survive for the ride home".

I can't remember how long the flight was (I'd guess 2 hours) but it made everybody who was facing the hell of a year tour feel a little better.
33 posted on 09/11/2002 12:25:43 PM PDT by Lokibob
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To: finnman69
THREE men in an airline lavatory?

Probably doing drugs.
34 posted on 09/11/2002 12:27:18 PM PDT by AdA$tra
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To: Shermy
Federal officials, speaking on a condition of anonymity, now say today's diversion of a passenger flight to Fort Smith's airport was not related to terrorism. Northwest Airlines says the plane will take off for its destination once baggage is rescreened.

Nope. Not terrorism. No chance of terrorism. Newspeak lives. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for being prudent, but don't tell me it's not related to terrorism and in the next breath tell me you're rescreening all the baggage.

After last year's terror attacks, documents taken from the luggage of attack leader Mohamed Atta gave what appeared to be instructions for the suicide hijackers. The instructions said "The previous night, shave the extra hair from the body."

Good thing for us these geniuses can't follow simple directions.

35 posted on 09/11/2002 12:29:15 PM PDT by Slainte
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To: abner
I guess you folks know what I am saying. The paper seems like it has to quote someone so as to infer that its not them, but the governor that is "insensitive".
36 posted on 09/11/2002 12:29:23 PM PDT by KC_Conspirator
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To: Paul Ross
"Unable to satisfactorily resolve the situation in-flight, the crew elected to divert to Ft. Smith as a precaution," Northwest said.

In Arkansas, the Associated Press reported that three passengers locked themselves in a bathroom, and the other passengers departed from the plane safely.

Reading between the lines: Three passengers were somehow involved with a disruption during the flight, whether from themselves or other passengers is not clear, though. The crew tried to resolve the disruption but without resolution, so in the process of landing, the 3 locked themselves in the restroom to escape a lynch mob. The charge? Flying while Middle Easterner on September 11th? Time will tell, but this doesn't sound like a terrorist episode.

37 posted on 09/11/2002 12:29:28 PM PDT by Cultural Jihad
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To: Lokibob
Thanks for posting that story.
38 posted on 09/11/2002 12:30:55 PM PDT by Cultural Jihad
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To: Cultural Jihad
Im wondering if they unconsciously behaved suspiciously because of their ethnicity and the day it is...thus setting off everyone else thinking they are terrorists making a snow ball effect?
39 posted on 09/11/2002 12:31:24 PM PDT by smith288
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To: Cultural Jihad
I see your point. When confronted by an angry lynch mob, my first thought would be to shave.
40 posted on 09/11/2002 12:32:46 PM PDT by Slainte
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