Man late for flight tries bomb threat
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Man late for flight tries bomb threat
How low can one stoop?
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Man late for flight tries bomb threat
Suspect seized in Medford, Ore.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
MEDFORD, Ore., June 2 — A man running late for his flight to Phoenix called in a phony bomb threat Monday in hopes that the plane would be delayed long enough for him to get on board, police said.
AMERICA WEST clerks at the Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport became suspicious and notified police after the man came to their desk asking about Flight 6262, which by then was on its way back to the airport because of the threat, said Medford Police Lt. Mike Moran.
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The man was held on outstanding, unrelated criminal charges and being questioned by the FBI, Moran said. The suspect was not immediately identified.
The plane, an America West express shuttle operated by Mesa Airlines, returned to the airport around 3 p.m., after the threat was called into America West headquarters.
The plane had been in the air for just a few moments when a flight attendant took a call from the pilot, said passenger Barbara Tatom of El Paso, Texas.
“She just turned white,” Tatom said of the flight attendant. “I thought ‘Oh my god, I think we’re in trouble.’ ”
The 30 passengers were evacuated and a bomb squad searched the plane with the help of a dog. All bags were rechecked for any trace of an explosive device.
Nothing suspicious was discovered, said Capt. Joe Puckett of the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office.
Officials believed the call was a “credible threat” because the caller referred to a specific flight, airport spokeswoman Kim Stearns said.
“The individual was firm and gave information for a specific flight,” she said.
© 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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Man late for flight tries bomb threat
Suspect seized in Medford, Ore.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
MEDFORD, Ore., June 2 — A man running late for his flight to Phoenix called in a phony bomb threat Monday in hopes that the plane would be delayed long enough for him to get on board, police said.
AMERICA WEST clerks at the Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport became suspicious and notified police after the man came to their desk asking about Flight 6262, which by then was on its way back to the airport because of the threat, said Medford Police Lt. Mike Moran.
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The man was held on outstanding, unrelated criminal charges and being questioned by the FBI, Moran said. The suspect was not immediately identified.
The plane, an America West express shuttle operated by Mesa Airlines, returned to the airport around 3 p.m., after the threat was called into America West headquarters.
The plane had been in the air for just a few moments when a flight attendant took a call from the pilot, said passenger Barbara Tatom of El Paso, Texas.
“She just turned white,” Tatom said of the flight attendant. “I thought ‘Oh my god, I think we’re in trouble.’ ”
The 30 passengers were evacuated and a bomb squad searched the plane with the help of a dog. All bags were rechecked for any trace of an explosive device.
Nothing suspicious was discovered, said Capt. Joe Puckett of the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office.
Officials believed the call was a “credible threat” because the caller referred to a specific flight, airport spokeswoman Kim Stearns said.
“The individual was firm and gave information for a specific flight,” she said.
© 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Last edited by CPilotUK; 3rd Jun 2003 at 19:21.
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I'm sure I've had a security briefing in the past which implied that the most common cause of bomb threats at LHR was stupid businessmen stuck in traffic on the M4. Not all the threats make the front page (or even the small print).
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Well i thought i had heard every PAX trick in the book for getting on a flight like 'My wifes pregnant' and 'my hampster is eating people' but thats just damn right stupid!
I agree that they should be black listed along with PAX who keep casuing trouble in differnt airports!
I agree that they should be black listed along with PAX who keep casuing trouble in differnt airports!
Shining Example, apparently...
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I'd like to see a blacklist for pax who can't make the gate on time, but that's a bit of a tangent.
Occasionally, the idiots are beaten at their own game. The following appeared in the Athens News several years ago, retold by Private Eye:
"My boss, N****** K****** , was running very late for his flight to Brussels," his personal assistant told a court in Athens, "and he was worried that he might miss the plane. About an hour before it was due to take off, he came into my office and asked me to telephone Axon Airlines anonymously, and tell them that there was a bomb on board his flight. He thought that this would delay the plane until he got to the airport. I wasn't very happy about the idea, but he is my employer, so I obeyed him."
Speaking during the trial of her boss, the assistant (whose name was withheld by the court) explained what happened next. "I called Axon, and I didn't give my name. I simply told them that I was calling on behalf of Mr N****** K****** , and then read out the message he'd written: 'This is not a joke, someone is preparing to put a bomb on your 3:30 flight to Brussels.' Then I put the phone down. My boss left for the airport, and he was arrested as soon as he arrived, and charged with attempted murder. I suppose the airline people must have noted his name down, when I telephoned. I wasn't surprised, but I'd done exactly what he'd asked me to do, and I feel that I acted professionally throughout."
Mr K****** was sentenced to seven months imprisonment, but paid a fine and was set free. He sacked his assistant immediately after the trial.
Occasionally, the idiots are beaten at their own game. The following appeared in the Athens News several years ago, retold by Private Eye:
"My boss, N****** K****** , was running very late for his flight to Brussels," his personal assistant told a court in Athens, "and he was worried that he might miss the plane. About an hour before it was due to take off, he came into my office and asked me to telephone Axon Airlines anonymously, and tell them that there was a bomb on board his flight. He thought that this would delay the plane until he got to the airport. I wasn't very happy about the idea, but he is my employer, so I obeyed him."
Speaking during the trial of her boss, the assistant (whose name was withheld by the court) explained what happened next. "I called Axon, and I didn't give my name. I simply told them that I was calling on behalf of Mr N****** K****** , and then read out the message he'd written: 'This is not a joke, someone is preparing to put a bomb on your 3:30 flight to Brussels.' Then I put the phone down. My boss left for the airport, and he was arrested as soon as he arrived, and charged with attempted murder. I suppose the airline people must have noted his name down, when I telephoned. I wasn't surprised, but I'd done exactly what he'd asked me to do, and I feel that I acted professionally throughout."
Mr K****** was sentenced to seven months imprisonment, but paid a fine and was set free. He sacked his assistant immediately after the trial.
