London to Washington Flight diverted to Boston
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It's absurd that a plane full of passengers was endanangered by scrambling jet fighters because a bonkers 60 year old woman had a jar of vaseline. Declaring a "security emergency" over the incident was just plain stupid, being as she had been tied up anyway. Terrorists don't make threats before they act. Closing an airport and throwing passengers luggage around on the tarmac after diverting under fighter escort is not going to help the airline industry.
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Now I'm not saying this woman had a screwdriver, or even a screw loose, we don't know the facts as yet. This does bring to my mind however the article in the comment section of a british broadsheet written by Martin Samuel yesterday. I don't know if anyone else read it - in the article he made the case for the profiling of passengers, paying particular attention re handsearches/additional screening, to those whom intelligence sources believe pose the greatest theat. It was his solution to the current raging argument over delays brought on by additional security measures. And I don't have it to hand to quote verbatim, but he basically said there was no point carrying out searches on "75 year old grandmothers" as clearly they don't fit the profile the authorities are most wary of.
IF this woman was carrying a screwdriver or anything that should not have passed security, then it is a clear sign to all those who seem to value commercial expediency above safety that sadly the way things are we all must be searched before boarding an aircraft.
Hopefully she just went doolally.
IF this woman was carrying a screwdriver or anything that should not have passed security, then it is a clear sign to all those who seem to value commercial expediency above safety that sadly the way things are we all must be searched before boarding an aircraft.
Hopefully she just went doolally.
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Originally Posted by BitMoreRightRudder
IF this woman was carrying a screwdriver or anything that should not have passed security, then it is a clear sign to all those who seem to value commercial expediency above safety that sadly the way things are we all must be searched before boarding an aircraft.
Hopefully she just went doolally.
Hopefully she just went doolally.
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From Fox News
Transportation Security Administration Director George Naccara refuted initial reports that the incident was terrorist related, and said the passenger was claustrophobic, became upset, and got into a confrontation with the flight crew.
Naccara denied reports that the woman was carrying Vaseline, a screw driver, matches and a note referencing Al Qaeda.
"I don't know what she had on board with her, but we have been told she did not have a screw driver, she did not have any liquids such as Vaseline, and any notebook she may have had, it did not contain an Al Qaeda reference," he said. "There was speculation in the beginning of all those items, but those have been proven untrue."
Massport spokesman Phil Orlandella initially said an unidentified woman carrying Vaseline, a screw driver, matches and a note referencing Al Qaeda had been taken into custody.
United spokesman Brandon Borrman said a female passenger was spotted engaging in what was described as "suspicious" activity, but he could not detail what the activity was.
Transportation Security Administration Director George Naccara refuted initial reports that the incident was terrorist related, and said the passenger was claustrophobic, became upset, and got into a confrontation with the flight crew.
Naccara denied reports that the woman was carrying Vaseline, a screw driver, matches and a note referencing Al Qaeda.
"I don't know what she had on board with her, but we have been told she did not have a screw driver, she did not have any liquids such as Vaseline, and any notebook she may have had, it did not contain an Al Qaeda reference," he said. "There was speculation in the beginning of all those items, but those have been proven untrue."
Massport spokesman Phil Orlandella initially said an unidentified woman carrying Vaseline, a screw driver, matches and a note referencing Al Qaeda had been taken into custody.
United spokesman Brandon Borrman said a female passenger was spotted engaging in what was described as "suspicious" activity, but he could not detail what the activity was.
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Massport spokesman Phil Orlandella initially said an unidentified woman carrying Vaseline, a screw driver, matches and a note referencing Al Qaeda had been taken into custody.
Orlandella, as a seasoned Massport spokesman needs to be let go. i.e. fired. This type of misquote just fuels the jitters and paranoia of the American traveling public and something we can all do without.
The sensationalist and inaccurate news coverage, and the banal nonsense from CNN, Fox and the usual always-on news stations is flabbergasting. No wonder many ppruners react the way they do to media if this debacle is anything to go by.
Orlandella, as a seasoned Massport spokesman needs to be let go. i.e. fired. This type of misquote just fuels the jitters and paranoia of the American traveling public and something we can all do without.
The sensationalist and inaccurate news coverage, and the banal nonsense from CNN, Fox and the usual always-on news stations is flabbergasting. No wonder many ppruners react the way they do to media if this debacle is anything to go by.
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OK, to quote myself (on my weblog) the US is winning the war against Claustrophobia.
I am sure the cost of this episode is six figures, and impossible to calculate the upsets to people who miss connecting flights, cruises, court dates or other life changing events as a result of the delay.
To quote self again:
O --- which is it? We are sniffing bags and using F-15's because someone had a panic attack, or there IS a terror connection which is being vigorously denied by all the reporting sources?
And parenthetically, is the sudden 'discovery' of a new bunch of calls to emergency ref the WTC attack merely in order to promote the inevitable series of news [or is it entertainment?]specials sure to be perpetrated as the grim anniversary approaches?
I am sure the cost of this episode is six figures, and impossible to calculate the upsets to people who miss connecting flights, cruises, court dates or other life changing events as a result of the delay.
To quote self again:
O --- which is it? We are sniffing bags and using F-15's because someone had a panic attack, or there IS a terror connection which is being vigorously denied by all the reporting sources?
And parenthetically, is the sudden 'discovery' of a new bunch of calls to emergency ref the WTC attack merely in order to promote the inevitable series of news [or is it entertainment?]specials sure to be perpetrated as the grim anniversary approaches?
Rotate on this!
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Originally Posted by Load Toad
OK - it's all gone crap.
I mean....non events take up hours of news space. A few years ago a dippy passenger would have been sorted out and not a word would have been heard. Now? Hundreds of hours of analysis and 'What if?' scenarios.
I'm bored of hearing it.
I mean....non events take up hours of news space. A few years ago a dippy passenger would have been sorted out and not a word would have been heard. Now? Hundreds of hours of analysis and 'What if?' scenarios.
I'm bored of hearing it.
(a) I don't think the newspapers chose to divert..the commander, (with, I guess, appropriate consultation & consideration chose to divert).
Given (a) above occured, and (b), we are in the middle of a security issue regarding planned destruction of multiple aircraft, then I'm in no way suprised the press are crawling all over this one.
Some of you people seem to think that all terrorists wander around with turbans and AK47s! You should perhaps remember some of the sweet innocent looking girls that used to be in the Bader-Meinhoff units!!
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A claustrophobic 60 year old woman with a jar of hand cream is hardly a security threat. The aircraft was, however, put in danger in danger by the captain declaring a "security emergency". Having two fully armed fighters scrambled turned a minor drama into a potential disaster.
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Apparently she was sitting next to an emergency exit, and fellow passengers were afraid that she might open the exit in an attempt to escape.
Just imagine the mayhem if she'd managed to open it at cruising height!
Just imagine the mayhem if she'd managed to open it at cruising height!
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How exactly was she going to open an emergency exit while the aircraft was pressurised? And how are jet fighters going to do anything to stop her if she could?
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People are saying it was stupid to declare a "security emergency", but really, was it?
The captain may have just been told that "Theres a nutter running around with vaseline and a screwdriver" (s)he may not have been told it was a little old lady that might be just a bit claustrophobic. And given the events last week I can't disagree with the decision the captain made.
It may be nothing (probably is) old lady and vaseline kinda go together nothing to worry about, the screwdriver though, a bit harder to place.
The captain may have just been told that "Theres a nutter running around with vaseline and a screwdriver" (s)he may not have been told it was a little old lady that might be just a bit claustrophobic. And given the events last week I can't disagree with the decision the captain made.
It may be nothing (probably is) old lady and vaseline kinda go together nothing to worry about, the screwdriver though, a bit harder to place.
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From recorded interviews with passengers, I've heard that she was attracting attention to herself and behaving sufficiently strangely that fellow passengers alerted the cabin crew. When the suspect attempted to visit the toilet she was prevented from doing so by a stewardess. This prompted a confrontation where the suspect pulled-down her trousers and knickers at which stage two passengers restrained her.
BTW, is 59 'old'?
BTW, is 59 'old'?
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Ignoring all the ?'humour'? on this thread, the flight originated in London where 'security screening' is supposed to be an an all-time high. She boards with a rumoured closed jar (NB Liquids or 'gel' is banned) which is potentially inflammable, reported 'matches' and a potential weapon.
Compare this with the fiascos that operating crews are experiencing.
Compare this with the fiascos that operating crews are experiencing.
It really is an absolutely sad and tragic situation, if reports are to be believed and this was just a middle aged/old woman with a jar of handcream and possibly some slight mental imbalance.
I would personally be far far more worried about trigger happy National guard jocks and current US policy than one old batty deary.
It really does show you though the state to what paranoia has reached. I mean, how much further can it go? Will "overdressed" passengers be asked to remove clothing before boarding? Laugh you might, but quite frankly the whole situation is completely absurd, and has been for some time. Engineered no doubt by certain parties to meet their own agendas.
As for this massive terrorist plot. It came just as confidence in the government and police in the UK must be at an all time low (especially in relation to terrorism) - the arrested must have been the geese that laid the golden egg for a lot of people. Give the current propensity of the UK government to bare face lie (and having the arrogance to think they will get away with it) it will be interesting to see how things unravel.
I would personally be far far more worried about trigger happy National guard jocks and current US policy than one old batty deary.
It really does show you though the state to what paranoia has reached. I mean, how much further can it go? Will "overdressed" passengers be asked to remove clothing before boarding? Laugh you might, but quite frankly the whole situation is completely absurd, and has been for some time. Engineered no doubt by certain parties to meet their own agendas.
As for this massive terrorist plot. It came just as confidence in the government and police in the UK must be at an all time low (especially in relation to terrorism) - the arrested must have been the geese that laid the golden egg for a lot of people. Give the current propensity of the UK government to bare face lie (and having the arrogance to think they will get away with it) it will be interesting to see how things unravel.
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Come Fly The Friendly Skies
...and get restrained into your seat when you are suffering from claustrophobia or some sort of ailment...and get arrested as a result...then have Massport spokespeople concoct blatant lies to create even more paranoia.
And of course, the part time, National Guard pilots, with their itchy fingers get scrambled in the process to add some good old Hollywood-esque drama to the plot.
Yes, tongue in cheek, but a very sad indictment of the state of affairs we now live in.
As a professional aviator who knows using my own common-sense, 99.999999999 per cent of customers are fine - it's likely the crew training needs modified from this sort of behaviour.
In terms of BOAC's comment on the nonsense local and overseas crews have to endure when reporting for duty, I agree, the fiasco needs sorting pronto...off on another LGW sector next week, and looking forward to it like a hole in the head if my experience is going to be like what I endured last time...
Friendly Skies?....not anytime soon!
And of course, the part time, National Guard pilots, with their itchy fingers get scrambled in the process to add some good old Hollywood-esque drama to the plot.
Yes, tongue in cheek, but a very sad indictment of the state of affairs we now live in.
As a professional aviator who knows using my own common-sense, 99.999999999 per cent of customers are fine - it's likely the crew training needs modified from this sort of behaviour.
In terms of BOAC's comment on the nonsense local and overseas crews have to endure when reporting for duty, I agree, the fiasco needs sorting pronto...off on another LGW sector next week, and looking forward to it like a hole in the head if my experience is going to be like what I endured last time...
Friendly Skies?....not anytime soon!
Last edited by GreatCircle; 17th Aug 2006 at 11:08.
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Can anyone tell me why the stop aeroplane and do the business on the runway? why don't they taxy into a corner somewhere and keep the runway open?
(non big aeroplane pilot here - so apologies if I've missed the obvious!)
(non big aeroplane pilot here - so apologies if I've missed the obvious!)