Sky News reporting Air France bomb alert divert into Mombasa
 

Reported that A B777 flight from Mauritius to Paris Charles de Gaulle diverted into Mombasa after suspicious object discovered in toilet.

Report on the BBC

Air France flight makes emergency landing in Kenya over bomb scare - BBC News

Air France says the diversion was a "precaution" but a picture of the 777 on the ground (link below) shows what looks like a blown slide near one of aft left doors (4L or 3L?) but steps at 2L.

http://media3.s-nbcnews.com/j/newscm...fp-320-280.jpg

Were there different interpretations of the urgency, perhaps?

Air France crew told passengers there was a technical problem, one of those on board the plane said.
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/bo...-kenya-n483326

459 passengers and 14 crew?? Big 777..........:confused:

Yes, some AF leisure routes have high-density configuration
SeatGuru Seat Map Air France Boeing 777-300ER (77W) Caribbean

Thanks AJ - Have to say, I thought it was a misprint! Blimey.:ok:
Anyway - good to hear a positive story about AF. Well done to the crew.

If this is the case would it not be better to lose height quickly in case of explosive decompression?

"KENYAN MEDIA QUOTING A LOCAL OFFICIAL SAYING LIVE BOMB WAS ABOARD - POSSIBLY PRIMED TO DETONATE OVER OCEAN"

Just beautiful.

Having worked with Kenyan media and Kenyan Officials, I wouldn't trust either, even more so when they're anonymous / unnamed. Kenyan officials love being the centre of attention and the person with all the facts, even if those facts are made up. They'll say anything if it means they get some status and a feeling of power from it.

Not much ocean between Mauritius and Paris - all of it between origin and Kenya.

This could be complete rubbish from a Kenyan twitter account. Seems strange for this to be leaked. Before posting i searched the images with TinEye and they seem to be unique.


https://twitter.com/KEleaks/status/678531711865630720

‏@KEleaks
The device found on board Air France which landed in mombasa earlier today
#AF463 #AirFrance

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CWqg97tWIAAvIyl.jpg

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CWqg-tpWsAAnbb7.jpg

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CWqkSWZWcAAoLcn.jpg

Hopefully that was a hoax and not the real deal. The crew handled it quite professionally all things considered. And to whoever was operating EK776 and EK761 last night, you are good people. Ole mate might owe you a couple of beers for your good work:ok:

Kenyan airports authority "confirms" that is was, in fact, a bomb.

https://mobile.twitter.com/Conflicts...055296/photo/1

Two passengers are held for suspicious behaviour.

And it is almost christmas.

What was their involvement (Emirate's crew) ?

False Alarm
 

From BBC.co.uk
An emergency landing of an Air France flight from Mauritius to Paris in Kenya was caused by a false bomb alert, the airline's chief says.
Frederic Gagey told a news conference that the suspected package turned out to have been made of paper and a timer.
The pilots of the Boeing 777 requested to land at Moi International Airport in Mombasa after the item was found in a toilet.
Both the aircraft and airport were safely evacuated.

Thank god for that!

The terrorists can even win with hoax materials. Innocent components separately brought aboard for assembly seem good enough to bring down a plane.

The crew have no choice in these issues - and I hope that they and all future crews are encouraged to make the decision they did.

A rash of these events will see the cost of safety being passed on to the PAX.

The terrorists win again.

Sadly, that is the way it must be.

http://www.pprune.org/rumours-news/5...ml#post9216087


Both crews were extremely helpful. The AF crew declared the mayday in Mogadishu airspace and had descended to FL100, they couldn't get contact on HF or VHF. They were relying for a while on other traffic relaying info on guard including, but not limited to weather and operational info to both Nairobi and Mombasa. One of the best displays of airmanship I've ever seen.

Wonderful co-operation.

Quote:
Hopefully that was a hoax and not the real deal. The crew handled it quite professionally all things considered. And to whoever was operating EK776 and EK761 last night, you are good people
What was their involvement (Emirate's crew) ?

Yeah I'd like to know as well...

Maybe a passenger was following that philosophy ?

Just shows how effective airport security prior to boarding is, doesn't it ?

What, that somebody managed to smuggle an alarm clock and some cardboard tubes onto an aircraft? There's currently no evidence to suggest that there was anything more sinister.

This time.

Meaning what? That you know that there are problems with screening in Mauritius? That terrorist cells are actively plotting to attack aviation in Mauritius?

You've jumped a long way to a very big conclusion here, all from someone taping some cardboard to a clock.

I doubt he has ever had to deal with a bomb or a terrorist threat - Laarbruch that is.

Former police officer has been held by authorities, hope he gets 20 years, idiot.



French police detain man over Air France false alarm


French border police detained a man on Monday after an Air France plane had to make an emergency landing in Kenya over a suspicious device later found to be harmless, prosecutors said.
Air France staff decided late on Saturday to divert the plane to the nearest airport during a flight from Mauritius to Paris after a passenger found the object in the toilets and alerted crew.
The prosecutors gave no details about the man taken into custody, though BFM TV said he was a former police officer and had been detained on arrival in Paris.
Air France said all 459 passengers and 14 crew had arrived safely at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport shortly before 6am. The airline said it had filed a complaint for “reckless endangerment” over the incident.
Air France said the suspicious object, which was found in a small cupboard behind a mirror in the toilets, was made out of cardboard and paper and contained a timer, and must have been planted during the flight.

Indeed most likely assembled in-situ during the flight. It would take just minutes, so no need for the hoaxer to risk being found with something looking like a bomb in their carry on baggage.

Barrier Up! / Barrier Down! / Repeat

S-D

Question was answered post #17 :)

= = = =

I'm a little surprised to see "only" two slides deployed on the photo of the plane (incidentally, those slides are the nearest from the location of the (in)famous toilet, as per AF spokesman: "toilet near door 3, above the wing").
Do you think more slides have been used (but already removed/stowed), or that less slides have been used (only the two visible? more on the starboard side?) and what would be the likely reason?

Regards,
AZR

My assumption is that they performed a precautionary disembarkation.

A combination of steps/slides can be used in this case.
It's the Captain's decision after assessing the situation and the logistics available.

Air France bomb scare: 'Two held' in Paris - BBC News

Do these people (the suspects) not realise that they will be found out?

Do aircraft have CCTV (like buses do almost universally)?

AZR re. slides: On the AF 777-300 doors 3 are emergency-only doors located right above the wings with 4 toilets in between. Doors 4L/R are further aft.

I think skytrax has it right.

Hopefully everything is fine...

Whenever terrorism becomes a topic of discussion on PPRuNe, a lot is made about ensuring nothing is said that may be useful to would be terrorists - either in terms of technical information or simply "giving them ideas"...

I tend to think that the relatively small number of determined terrorists that are out there will have little trouble researching their "craft" elsewhere, but this incident really makes me wonder how many idiots out there might be tempted to try a similar hoax after seeing this on the news.

The world media seems eager to show high resolution photographs of the "device" while devoting countless hours of airtime to discussing exactly how easy it was to bring the component parts aboard and just how difficult it would be to prevent somebody else from doing exactly the same thing again. Add to this the continuing footage of disrupted passengers and constant reminders of just how many people were affected and how much disruption and cost this represents to the airline and you have a perfect recipe for idiots getting ideas. And let's face it, idiots are far more plentiful in this world than comitted terrorists!

It would be nice if the global media could show a little more restraint (and common sense!) when reporting stories like this but, given the likelihood of that, let's just hope that the punishment is severe when it is handed out and that the media show as much vigour in reporting it.

Call me a conspiracist
 

Maybe a test run to check airport/airline security with pieces of devices smuggled on board by more than 1 person?

Before anyone jumps on me about telling secrets, this has been mentioned in other threads and forums, including some LEO forums.

RGDS,

OBD

Then, having succeeded why bring attention to the fact as in this case? It is also arguably much easier to bring strips of material and a timer of some description then it is to smuggle actual explosives in one's carry on.

Yes OBD, I would call you a conspiracist ;)

Or maybe?
 

Someone in the catering crew, lav crew, etc., is in on it, and the pax are just the assemblers?

The test run might be to simulate other airports.

I know...conspiracist..... :-)

"Nuff said.

REGDS,

OBD

The "idiot" ( always be careful with words when one is only a suspect ) and his wife were released yesterday evening with no charges. According the media this morning he was apparently the one that found the device in the toilet and gave " advises" to the crew afterwards..

Very true ATC Watcher. It escapes many readers' attention that being arrested on suspicion does not imply guilt until proven.

Skytrax, DJ77, thanks. The pax all talk about slides in the media. I assume all got out this way...

If they arrested an ex-cop just because he happened to find the thing, it makes you wonder what chance the rest of us have. (Of course, his name might have matched one a list, or something like that.)