Qatari Diplomat Held After Confrontation on Plane

[RJM62]

Feel free to move to SZ if need be...

WASHINGTON — Federal air marshals confronted a passenger who had apparently lighted a cigarette in an airline lavatory on Wednesday night, leading Norad to scramble two fighter jets and a phalanx of law enforcement officials to meet the plane, United Flight 663, when it landed at Denver International Airport.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/09/us/09plane.html?hp

Don't know if you need a NY TIMES account to read it. Last time I checked, the username / password combination "bugmenot@bugmenot.com" and "bugmenot" worked.

-Rich

 

[EdFred]

http://www.pilotsofamerica.com/forum/showthread.php?t=35337

 

[jesse]

Scrambling those fighters was a good use of money....

 

[mantakos]

Scrambling those fighters was a good use of money....

It's sort of interesting to think about what the role of that "escort" was. It's sort of a "hey, don't worry passengers, we're just here to kill you in case something bad happens!"
-harry

 

[RJM62]

It's sort of interesting to think about what the role of that "escort" was. It's sort of a "hey, don't worry passengers, we're just here to kill you in case something bad happens!"
-harry

Yeah, I was thinking about that... imagine the thoughts that could go through passengers' heads when they realize they're being "escorted."

-Rich

 

[flyersfan31]

It's sort of interesting to think about what the role of that "escort" was. It's sort of a "hey, don't worry passengers, we're just here to kill you in case something bad happens!"
-harry

I can't really think of any other purpose....

 

[Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe]

I can't really think of any other purpose....

According to the AP talking head they "guided the airplane to a safe landing"

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dy...4/08/VI2010040801731.html?sid=ST2010040802897

 

[flyersfan31]

According to the AP talking head they "guided the airplane to a safe landing"

Uh huh.

 

[alaskaflyer]

From the Ask the Pilot guy on Salon a couple of years ago:

a NORAD spokesman cites an astonishing 2,300 military intercepts of civilian airliners since the 2001 attacks. That's more than one every day. The government won't verify an exact number, but even a fraction of that total would be unnerving.

 

[Maxmosbey]

According to the AP talking head they "guided the airplane to a safe landing"

Which means, "we didn't have to shoot it down, which would not have resulted in a safe landing."

 

[EdFred]

I thought that the cockpits were "impossible" to enter into once in flight. If that's the case, WTF is the intercept for. It's still the proper guys flying the plane.

 

[alaskaflyer]

Truth be told, passengers are caught smoking in lavatories all the time. It happens quite a bit, especially on long-haul international flights. Doing so is very illegal, not to mention dangerous, but 99 times in a hundred the reaction is measured, appropriate. Perhaps it's different, however, when the culprit is one of those people commonly described as "Middle-Eastern looking"? Though in fairness to the crew, Mr. Mohammed Al-Madadi did himself no favor by cracking a tasteless and provocative wisecrack when queried about his activities in the john. He told them he was trying to light his shoes on fire -- a reference to the 2001 would-be shoe bomber, Richard Reid. What a knee- slapper. He's lucky the on-board air marshals didn't chain him to the floor.

There's not much more I can say. The incident speaks for itself.

Let's move on, shall we?

.....

 

[twdeckard]

Do think it was a coincidence that a Qatari diplomat on his way to see Ali Al-Marri got to share the flight with not one, but two, air marshals.

 

[Greg Bockelman]

Do think it was a coincidence that a Qatari diplomat on his way to see Ali Al-Marri got to share the flight with not one, but two, air marshals.

Probably. It seems like when there are Air Marshals onboard there are always two of them. And into and out of Washington, chances are good that there will be Air Marshals onboard.

 

[Greg Bockelman]

I thought that the cockpits were "impossible" to enter into once in flight. If that's the case, WTF is the intercept for. It's still the proper guys flying the plane.

SIGNIFICANTLY more difficult, but not impossible. Only way it would be impossible is if there is no door to the cabin.

 

[alaskaflyer]

Unless they are flying off-duty to see Grammy or Mickey Mouse they always fly in pairs.

 

[AuntPeggy]

Duplicate thread http://www.pilotsofamerica.com/forum/showthread.php?t=35337

 

[twdeckard]

Probably. It seems like when there are Air Marshals onboard there are always two of them. And into and out of Washington, chances are good that there will be Air Marshals onboard.

Sets me straight, but rains on my omniscient government conspiracy theories

 

[ScottM]

SIGNIFICANTLY more difficult, but not impossible. Only way it would be impossible is if there is no door to the cabin.

Is there some reason that at a passenger could not just use the electronic unlock that they sometimes see the flight crew use to gain entry?

 

[Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe]

Is there some reason that at a passenger could not just use the electronic unlock that they sometimes see the flight crew use to gain entry?

That would be a violation of regulations.


Looks like the doofus is being sent home.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/08/AR2010040805826.html?hpid=topnews

The question then becomes: Is he going to try to sneak a smoke during the long flight back to Qatar?

 

[Teller1900]

Is there some reason that at a passenger could not just use the electronic unlock that they sometimes see the flight crew use to gain entry?

Well, yes.

 

[ScottM]

Well, yes.

and why not?

 

[EdFred]

and why not?

It's against the FARs. duh!!!!