Media reports attempted hijack; ends up being a false alarm

Oh great, just another event to make this day even worse.

 

Here is a link off of The Chronicle' s site:

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/front/1570783

 

WOW how wild. I flew to Dallas and back today for business and we were going to take american but took SW. Glad I wasn't on that flight.

 

CNN just aired this story. They said that the entire plane and each passenger was searched and that nothing appearing to be a weapon was found. Their is some thought that it may be overly excited nerves of the Marshalls that caused the scare. More to come I'm sure.

 

Fox 26 just said that this was not an attempted highjacking.. somebody thought they saw a "weapon".. but now its looking like there was nothing.

 

Is this the flight where three men locked themselves in the airplane bathroom. Three supposed men of Middle E descent? What the freak is that? Same story?

 

This is a different incident.

That plane was diverted to Ft. Smith, Arkansas.

 

somebody change the title to this thread to read "jumpy local news media overreacts"


Comb prompts plane's return to Houston
September 11, 2002 Posted: 4:09 PM EDT (2009 GMT)




HOUSTON, Texas (CNN) -- An American Airlines flight with 54 people aboard returned to Houston promptly Wednesday after a federal air marshal noticed a passenger with an "unidentifiable object" that later turned out to be a comb, authorities said.

The Transportation Security Administration said there were no scuffles and that the passenger was removed from the plane at a remote site once American Airlines Flight 1702 returned to George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston.

The TSA said the plane, a Fokker F-100, and all its passengers were searched and that no weapons were found. The plane did not get a military fighter escort.

American Airlines spokesman Todd Burke said he did not know details of what transpired aboard Flight 1702. He said the pilot decided to return the plane for "precautionary reasons."

He confirmed there were air marshals aboard but that the airline has "not yet had an opportunity to speak with the crew" or others aboard.

The plane, carrying 50 passengers and four crew members, was headed to the Dallas-Fort Worth area when it was diverted back to Houston. The plane left at 12:28 p.m. (1:28 p.m. ET) and landed safely about 40 minutes later, Burke said

 

The unidentifiable item was a comb??

 

Maybe he laced the comb with lice eggs and threatened to infect everybody's hair if they didn't cooperate

 

I have to say that on some level, terrorists got the effect they wishes. They didn't win, but they spreaded the terror. A year later, it still got into people's nerves. Will they ban comb on the plane to reduce confusion later?

 

Maybe they were afraid the bald guy in 26C was going to attempt a combover and no one wanted to see that.

 

Seriously, it's stupid news reporters that jump on unverified news that spreads the rampant paranoia we have today. They're practically doing the terrorists' jobs for them...

 

Do they still make those metal combs?

 

Man!, I heard this at work and turned on the radio ASAP.when I went to my car..Like many I heard rumor of a possible gun, Jet fighters were scrambled and all....Great, I'm thinking "not here", ....but it now seems silly that this is about a freaking comb?...I'm sorry but that is jacked up! lol!!!

 

the media pisses me off. when i heard this i was a little scared...and then it turns out to be a comb? wtf? is it just the damn media's way of getting people to "tune in"???

c'mon, i though in the USA it was innocent until proven guilty? Then why the **** do they suspect the worst when theres no evidence?

to the media: stop bs'ing us.

 

good point! I had one of those over 15 years ago (the ones that look like a knife, you press a button and out flips a comb)... well i had it in my pocket and got stopped by airport security when going on vacation with my parents. Being the tender age of 9, I was freaked out!

 

Good thing he left his gun shaped cigarette lighter at home.


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