U S Air Diverted
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U S Air Diverted
Flight diverted to Philly over security concerns
PHILADELPHIA (AP) A spokesman for US Airways says a flight from New York to Louisville, Ky., has been diverted to Philadelphia International Airport because of security concerns.
Spokesman Jim Olson says US Airways Express Flight 3709 landed in Philadelphia around 9 a.m. Thursday morning after taking off from La Guardia airport. He would not elaborate on the security concern, referring questions to local authorities and the Transportation Security Administration.
Olson says the plane landed without incident and that the passengers have deplaned. He says they are being reaccommodated on other flights.
Airport spokesman Mark Pesce says the airport remains open and fully operational.
Calls to Philadelphia police and the FBI were not immediately returned.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) A spokesman for US Airways says a flight from New York to Louisville, Ky., has been diverted to Philadelphia International Airport because of security concerns.
Spokesman Jim Olson says US Airways Express Flight 3709 landed in Philadelphia around 9 a.m. Thursday morning after taking off from La Guardia airport. He would not elaborate on the security concern, referring questions to local authorities and the Transportation Security Administration.
Olson says the plane landed without incident and that the passengers have deplaned. He says they are being reaccommodated on other flights.
Airport spokesman Mark Pesce says the airport remains open and fully operational.
Calls to Philadelphia police and the FBI were not immediately returned.
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PHL was shut down, everyone on approach put into holding at JALTO and OOD, the plane landed on 09R at about 1340Z with ATC reporting a suspicious 'device' onboard.
PHL was reopened for arrivals after less than 15 minutes, great job by ATC.
PHL was reopened for arrivals after less than 15 minutes, great job by ATC.
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Jewish mans prayers spark airliner scare
Flight is diverted after religious item is mistaken for a bomb, police say
NBC, msnbc.com and news services
updated 10:46 a.m. ET, Thurs., Jan. 21, 2010
PHILADELPHIA - A U.S. Airways jet was diverted to Philadelphia International Airport Thursday after a Jewish religious item was mistaken for a bomb, police said.
There were initial reports that a man may have been wired with "a device" and FBI and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officials and a police bomb squad all attended.
However, when authorities boarded Flight 3079 from LaGuardia Airport to Louisville, they established there was no bomb on board.
Officials said a passenger had become alarmed by seeing a man with phylacteries boxes containing verses from the Bible which observant Jews strap around their arms and heads as part of morning prayers.
"Someone on the plane construed it as some kind of device," said Christine O'Brien, a spokeswoman for the Philadelphia Police Department.
A man was escorted off the plane by law enforcement officers while the other passengers also disembarked. O'Brien confirmed that no one had been arrested and no one had been charged.
The passengers were due to fly to Louisville on a different plane. It was unclear whether the man wearing the phylacteries would be among them.
'Abundance of caution'
Government sources also said the passenger had been praying loudly and that the flight was diverted out of an "abundance of caution."
In a statement, the TSA said: "At approximately 8.30 a.m. EST, the Transportation Security Administration was notified of a disruptive passenger onboard Chautauqua Airlines, U.S. Airways Express flight 3079 from New York LaGuardia Airport to Louisville International Airport.
"The plane was diverted to Philadelphia International Airport, where it landed without incident at approximately 8.50 a.m. EST.
"The disruptive passenger was interviewed, the plane was swept with negative findings."
NBC News, msnbc.com staff and Reuters contributed to this report.
URL: Jewish teen?s prayers spark airliner scare - News- msnbc.com
NBC, msnbc.com and news services
updated 10:46 a.m. ET, Thurs., Jan. 21, 2010
PHILADELPHIA - A U.S. Airways jet was diverted to Philadelphia International Airport Thursday after a Jewish religious item was mistaken for a bomb, police said.
There were initial reports that a man may have been wired with "a device" and FBI and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officials and a police bomb squad all attended.
However, when authorities boarded Flight 3079 from LaGuardia Airport to Louisville, they established there was no bomb on board.
Officials said a passenger had become alarmed by seeing a man with phylacteries boxes containing verses from the Bible which observant Jews strap around their arms and heads as part of morning prayers.
"Someone on the plane construed it as some kind of device," said Christine O'Brien, a spokeswoman for the Philadelphia Police Department.
A man was escorted off the plane by law enforcement officers while the other passengers also disembarked. O'Brien confirmed that no one had been arrested and no one had been charged.
The passengers were due to fly to Louisville on a different plane. It was unclear whether the man wearing the phylacteries would be among them.
'Abundance of caution'
Government sources also said the passenger had been praying loudly and that the flight was diverted out of an "abundance of caution."
In a statement, the TSA said: "At approximately 8.30 a.m. EST, the Transportation Security Administration was notified of a disruptive passenger onboard Chautauqua Airlines, U.S. Airways Express flight 3079 from New York LaGuardia Airport to Louisville International Airport.
"The plane was diverted to Philadelphia International Airport, where it landed without incident at approximately 8.50 a.m. EST.
"The disruptive passenger was interviewed, the plane was swept with negative findings."
NBC News, msnbc.com staff and Reuters contributed to this report.
URL: Jewish teen?s prayers spark airliner scare - News- msnbc.com
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Apparently the pax in seat 4B had some contraption with wires connected to his finger, his arm and the top of his head. He was vague about the purpose of the device and the crew decided to divert.
There is a blog report that the device was 'religious' in nature.
There is a blog report that the device was 'religious' in nature.
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Picture of 'phylacteries' here, some versions do indeed seem to have wires involved:
http://www.ebibleteacher.com/images/...ies86-17tb.jpg
http://www.ebibleteacher.com/images/...ies86-17tb.jpg
Picture of 'phylacteries' here, some versions do indeed seem to have wires involved:
http://www.ebibleteacher.com/images/...ies86-17tb.jpg
http://www.ebibleteacher.com/images/...ies86-17tb.jpg
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With all due respect, TSA don't know the difference between a phylacterie and a prophylacterie. I am not kidding, if they have to practice, let them, at least some fool with wires and boxes wasn't given a pass, here.
A wire to the head? Who's to say AQ doesn't have a loon neurosurgeon on staff? Give the lads a break I say.
A wire to the head? Who's to say AQ doesn't have a loon neurosurgeon on staff? Give the lads a break I say.
I am not kidding, if they have to practice, let them, at least some fool with wires and boxes wasn't given a pass, here.
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If I woke up to find the guy in the next seat wired up like this I think I'd flip.
How on earth did he pass screening and in these days of heightened security what planet was he on to not appreciate other passengers concerns for their well being?
Are religious rites still legal on US aircraft?
I understand that some of the 9-11 hijackers were reciting religious verses as they took the poor victims to their death
How on earth did he pass screening and in these days of heightened security what planet was he on to not appreciate other passengers concerns for their well being?
Are religious rites still legal on US aircraft?
I understand that some of the 9-11 hijackers were reciting religious verses as they took the poor victims to their death
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I think referring to what the individual did as "cr@p" is going a tad too far.
On any El Al flight, a good number of passengers will perform this same ritual at some stage.
One can see how the straps and the small box might look like some sort of device to those who have never seen it before (then again, how many New Yorkers can claim to have never seen an Orthodox Jew) but the news reports suggest that the individual involved tried to explain what he was doing and was cooperative with all concerned. As this ritual would have been part of his everyday life, he would have very likely thought nothing of it.
An overaction?? To the unfamiliar and without the benefit of hinsdight, probably not. Any immediate reaction will be down to the immediate perception and if a danger is perceived, better to be safe than sorry.
One might see how handling an ornate set of rosary beads for a similar purpose might, in some places, produce a similar perception.
On any El Al flight, a good number of passengers will perform this same ritual at some stage.
One can see how the straps and the small box might look like some sort of device to those who have never seen it before (then again, how many New Yorkers can claim to have never seen an Orthodox Jew) but the news reports suggest that the individual involved tried to explain what he was doing and was cooperative with all concerned. As this ritual would have been part of his everyday life, he would have very likely thought nothing of it.
An overaction?? To the unfamiliar and without the benefit of hinsdight, probably not. Any immediate reaction will be down to the immediate perception and if a danger is perceived, better to be safe than sorry.
One might see how handling an ornate set of rosary beads for a similar purpose might, in some places, produce a similar perception.
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I can completely understand how this was mistaken for something malicious, as another posted mentioned; if you woke next to someone wired up like that, quoting religious verse, you'd be concerned.
It does pose an interesting conundrum now for the TSA and other security agencies. Do they continue to permit such contraptions, potentially opening an abusable loop-hole...
It does pose an interesting conundrum now for the TSA and other security agencies. Do they continue to permit such contraptions, potentially opening an abusable loop-hole...
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Calling it "crap" was not going too far. If a person were to babble some idiotic nonsense about talking snakes, invisible floating messiahs he can confide in, and endless other drivel, we would rightly recommend psychiatric help. But as soon as someone frames their lunacy in religion, we are supposed to give them a free pass.
An individual's brand of mythology no longer deserves unquestioned "respect" from the rest of us. Just because he was brainwashed by his culture to babble religious nonsense (whether Christian, Muslim, Jewish, the spooky wookie monkey god, or whatever...), doesn't mean I have to respect it or put up with it.
Time to throw off (and throw up!) the bronze age sky god religion of our nomadic ancestors, and enter the 21st century. "Crap" was not too strong a word.
An individual's brand of mythology no longer deserves unquestioned "respect" from the rest of us. Just because he was brainwashed by his culture to babble religious nonsense (whether Christian, Muslim, Jewish, the spooky wookie monkey god, or whatever...), doesn't mean I have to respect it or put up with it.
Time to throw off (and throw up!) the bronze age sky god religion of our nomadic ancestors, and enter the 21st century. "Crap" was not too strong a word.
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While this may be normal activity on an El Al flight, the gentleman concerned was not on one, and perhaps should have been more aware of, and considerate towards, the possible perceptions of those around him.
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While this may be normal activity on an El Al flight, the gentleman concerned was not on one, and perhaps should have been more aware of, and considerate towards, the possible perceptions of those around him.
The problem stemmed from simple ignorance (in its most basic non-defamatory term) on both sides. The kid had no idea what his normal, everyday behavior would look like to others and, apparently, this was the first time the cabin crew were exposed to it.