American Airlines jet diverted after threat-report

Joshua949

New Member
American Airlines jet diverted after threat-report

Saturday January 10, 2:15 PM EST

WASHINGTON, Jan 10 (Reuters) - An American Airlines flight from New York's LaGuardia Airport was diverted to Dulles airport near Washington on Saturday because of a security threat, Fox News reported.

Flight 4959 had been scheduled to land at Reagan National Airport near the U.S. capital. The network said the plane had landed at Dulles International Airport, but did not have details on the threat.

The Transportation Security Administration could not immediately be reached for comment.

U.S. authorities reduced the security threat level on Friday, but said airlines were still at risk.
 
http://www.foxnews.com/printer_friendly_story/0,3566,108006,00.html

CHANTILLY, Va. — The FBI took one passenger into custody Saturday after an American Airlines commuter flight was diverted to Washington's Dulles International Airport (search) because of a security threat.

One official told Fox News flight crew received a note mid-flight from a passenger that said he had a bomb on board.

Flight 4959, operated by American Eagle (search) and carrying 19 passengers and a crew of five, left New York's LaGuardia Airport at 10:57 a.m. bound for Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (search). It landed at about noon at Dulles, which is 33 miles away.

The FBI detained one passenger after questioning the 23 others on the flight, said Tara Hamilton, spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (search).

She referred questions about the threat to the FBI. Calls to the FBI were not immediately returned Saturday.

An American Airlines spokeswoman, Lisa Bailey, said that upon approach to National Airport, a threat was made against the plane and the crew decided to divert to the other Washington area airport.

Airport police and security dogs were checking all luggage from the fight and conducting a sweep of the plane, Hamilton.
 
I wonder if it's the same Lisa Bailey that I knew that worked for Skyway. Very nice lady and gave us all valentines day candy in STL when she worked the gate.

If that's her..

But back to the topic, I wonder what the specifics are/were?
 
This seems to me like an isolated incident, and not really terrorist related. Seems to be some wack-job trying to get his name in the paper.
We'll see though, I might be totally wrong, I'm hoping it's not to severe.
 
Flight # 4959 is not an American Airlines operated flight. That's an Eagle flight number.
 
I was also trying to figure out why an AE would have 5 crewmembers....
 
I wonder count you mount hardpoints on pylons under the wing and use it as a light attack aircraft?
smile.gif
 
I was wondering why there were only 19 passengers. I was thinking to myself when I heard that, "No wonder the airlines are losing money, they can only fill a 737 with 19 people".
 
[ QUOTE ]
SWA had a similar incident yesterday at MDW.

[/ QUOTE ]


Yes they did it was all over the news. Cause the departing flight from MDW was bound for PHX.


Matthew
 
[ QUOTE ]
I was also trying to figure out why an AE would have 5 crewmembers....

[/ QUOTE ]

After I read that on Yahoo, I came straight to JC to ask that question, but you beat me to it.
smile.gif
 
Just heard from my local news station, WRAL, that the guy claimed he had a bomb onboard the aircraft & demanded that they fly him to Australia immediately on the regional ERJ-135 aircraft.

Come on now, did he really think that he could make it from LGA to Australia on a small regional aircraft like that. DUH! No.
 
Well, it was a damn stupid thing to do, even if it was just for attention. At least, if he was going to cause a flight diversion, it wasn't just because he had to take a piss. Hope they throw the book at him.
 
Here\'s a little more info on the Southwest Airlines flight also

Southwest Flight Turned Back After Bomb Threat
January 9, 2004

A Southwest Airlines flight from Chicago to Phoenix was turned back and landed safely at Chicago's Midway Airport on Friday after a bomb threat, officials said.

The plane was held in an area away from the terminal and the passengers removed via a stairway. The luggage was being searched with help from bomb-sniffing dogs and the plane was expected to resume its flight after a two-hour delay, the airline said.

The FAA in Chicago said Southwest contacted it asking for permission to bring the plane back to Chicago.

Eric Blum, spokesman for the Transportation Security Administration in Washington, said Flight 1038 was the subject of a bomb threat telephoned to a 911 police emergency line.

The plane was in the air for only about 15 minutes before landing back at Midway, the airline said.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Just heard from my local news station, WRAL, that the guy claimed he had a bomb onboard the aircraft & demanded that they fly him to Australia immediately on the regional ERJ-135 aircraft.

Come on now, did he really think that he could make it from LGA to Australia on a small regional aircraft like that. DUH! No.

[/ QUOTE ]

Australia?

HAHAHAHAHAHHAHA LMAO!
 
The only way there could have been 5 is if the F/A was doing (instructing) IOE, and there was a line check guy in the jumpseat.

Somehow I think the press probably just got confused, and that there really were only 3.
 
Probably if it was toward the end of a long duty day, more like 1.75 crewmembers!
smile.gif
 
Back
Top