Posted on 02/13/2003 4:15:31 PM PST by NotJustAnotherPrettyFace
BEVERLY -- Two men tried to buy a crop-dusting airplane at Beverly Airport Tuesday night and when questioned, jumped into a pickup truck and left the area, prompting a tight-lipped anti-terrorism investigation by state police and the FBI.
State police confirmed they are investigating an incident that occurred at the airport at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, but wouldn't provide further details.
Airport sources said the men, who appeared to be of Middle Eastern descent, went to Aviators of New England, a flight school at the airport on LP Henderson Road, and asked the owner if they could buy a crop-duster.
"They had thick accents," said Victor Capozzi, owner of General Aviation Services, another airport business. "He just thought it was kind of weird they'd come in asking about an (agricultural) plane."
He said the request was particularly unusual because crop-dusters are rarely used in the Northeast anymore.
"To ask for one of those planes is totally off the wall," Capozzi said.
Crop-dusters have been linked to terrorism because they can be used to spread germ and chemical warfare. And the incident comes at a particularly vulnerable time, as the nation remains on orange, high-alert terrorist status.
When questioned by Aviators of New England owner Richard Little, the men jumped in a pickup truck with Massachusetts plates and left the airport. Little then called the police, according to airport sources.
"Word spread right through the airport the minute it happened," Capozzi said.
The men apparently inquired about using an old crop-dusting plane that had been converted to tow banner advertisements across the skyline.
Steve LeBel of Rowley, the owner of the small plane, wasn't at the airport at the time of the incident. But he said the plane isn't even set up for crop-dusting.
"A lot of banner towers use former spray planes, but they take all the spray equipment off it," said LeBel, who runs Ads In Flight, a banner towing business. "It wouldn't even serve the purpose they're claiming to want to do."
The lack of information from police officials left some wondering whether the visit from the two men was a hoax, or a simple misunderstanding.
LeBel said he doubts the two men planned on doing anything. "They just have the intention of making everybody nervous," he said.
Paul Vitale, the former chairman of the Airport Commission, said it has been years since a working crop-duster was kept at Beverly Airport.
Employees at Aviators of New England were told not to discuss the matter.
"We are not at liberty to speak about it all," said a woman, who identified herself as Richard Little's wife, in a brief telephone interview last night. "We were advised by the authorities to keep it quiet."
Beverly Mayor Thomas Crean said he knew of the incident, but offered little public comment.
"It's ongoing and there's nothing I can tell you right now," he said. "I've been advised of that. It's extremely sensitive."
Beverly Police records indicate there was a "suspicious activity" call from Little's business at 5:42 p.m. Tuesday. Beverly police initially investigated, but then turned the matter over to Massachusetts State Police, Beverly Lt. William Terry said yesterday.
Sgt. Edward Principe, a spokesman for the state police, said the "matter remained under investigation," and declined further comment.
State Police Lt. Michael Cronin, who heads the state police anti-terrorism unit, could not be reached for comment for this story yesterday.
Sources yesterday also said the FBI was brought in to investigate, however, the federal agency does not comment on pending investigations.
BEVERLY -- They weren't terrorists -- they were just two guys looking to buy a plane.
The two men who visited Beverly Airport Tuesday evening wanted to make a purchase -- not plan a terrorist attack, according to the FBI.
"They were two Brazilian individuals, one was an airline mechanic, inquiring about an aircraft there they thought a relative in Brazil might be interested in," Gail Marcinkiewicz, an FBI spokeswoman, said last night.
Marcinkiewicz offered few other details, and it was still unclear why the men fled when questioned by airport workers.
The men, Brazilian nationals, were taken into custody at 7 last night and held overnight on Immigration and Naturalization Service detainers, State Police Sgt. David Paine said.
The men, who were not identified by police, will be held until their immigration status is determined. Police did not say where the men were apprehended, or whether they were living on the North Shore.
Until last night, law enforcement sources were mum on the investigation surrounding the two "suspicious" men who visited the airport around 5:30 Tuesday night.
Airport sources said two men who appeared to be of Middle Eastern descent went to Aviators of New England, a flight school and asked the owner if they could buy a crop-duster.
When questioned, the men jumped in a pickup truck with Massachusetts plates and left the airport. The owner then called police.
Contrary to information gathered from airport sources, Marcinkiewicz said the men weren't specifically interested in purchasing a crop-dusting airplane.
Crop-dusters have been linked to terrorist activity because they can be used to spread germ and chemical warfare.
"They inquired specifically about an airplane," she said, noting the matter was "resolved" and authorities determined "no terrorist-type activity" was involved.
Marcinkiewicz described the FBI's role in the investigation at the airport as limited, noting the bulk of the probe fell on a state police anti-terrorism unit. The matter was referred to the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force, however, Marcinkiewicz said.
The JTTF includes FBI agents, state troopers and representatives from local police departments, including Salem Detective Sgt. Michael Andreas, the department's terrorism intelligence officer.
While the men aren't considered terrorists, Andreas said the airport businessmen who alerted police to their presence Tuesday night "absolutely did the right thing."...< snip>
[my take-someone asked them about "visas" or "credentials" and they fled.]
In which case, I'm encouraged that somebody thought to ask. And, more importantly, to call the authorities.
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