Small Plane Forced To Land In Texas

My San Antonio ^ | 01/25/2005 | Vincent T. Davis

[mimmson]

Four immigrants and a pilot were detained after a Homeland Security Department division helped surround their plane at Stinson Municipal Airport on Monday night.

The five are being investigated in connection with a smuggling operation involving Chinese nationals, said Capt. Jeff Humphrey, San Antonio police special operations commander.

The five had been flying in a single-engine Cessna 172P south of San Antonio.

Online records of the Federal Aviation Administration show that the 20-year-old plane is co-owned by Afzal Hameed of Dover, Del. The other co-owner is listed as Alyce S. Taylor, but no address is given for her.

The FAA records state that the plane's last three-year registration was filed in 1999, and that the agency received no response in 2002 after mailing new registration forms to Hameed.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement requested help from the San Antonio Police Department, which provided a Chinese linguist to translate for the two male and two female passengers.

[Quilla]

Afzal Hameed? Sounds swarthy.

[billorites]

"The five had been flying in a single-engine Cessna 172P south of San Antonio."

Neat trick. That's a four seat aircraft.

[Miss Behave]

Yes, Quilla. I'm with you on that.

[billorites]

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FAA Registry
N-Number Inquiry Results

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N98873 is Assigned

Assigned/Registered Aircraft

Aircraft Description

Serial Number		17276369		Type Registration		Co-Owner
Manufacturer Name		CESSNA		Certificate Issue Date		02/19/1999
Model		172P		Status		Undeliverable Triennial
Type Aircraft		Fixed Wing Single-Engine		Type Engine		Reciprocating
Pending Number Change		None		Dealer		No
Date Change Authorized		None		Mode S Code		53346105
MFR Year		1985		Fractional Owner		NO

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Registered Owner

Name		AFZAL HAMEED
Street		30 OLD RUDNICK LN
City		DOVER	State	DELAWARE		Zip Code	19901-4912
County		KENT
Country		UNITED STATES

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Airworthiness

Engine Manufacturer		LYCOMING		Classification	Standard
Engine Model		0-320 SERIES		Category	Normal
					Utility
				A/W Date	04/02/1985

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Other Owner Names
TAYLOR ALYCE S

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Temporary CertificateNone

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Fuel ModificationsNone

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Technical Problems with this page?	Accessibility	Privacy Policy
For further information, please contact: Civil Aviation Registry AFS-700 PO BOX 25082 Oklahoma City, OK 73125

[Mamzelle]

Afzal Hameed. Any with Lexis-Nexis out there? Aviation databases?

[Mamzelle]

Oops. That'll teach me to read the thread, first. Thanks. Can this be retrieved on any pilot and plane? I'm presently having trouble with a nuisance of an eggbeater...

[billorites]

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FAA Registry
Name Inquiry Results

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ALYCE STUART TAYLOR

Address

Street	6822 LAGUNA VERDE
City	SAN ANTONIO	State	TEXAS
County	BEXAR	Zip Code	78239-3628
Country	UNITED STATES

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Medical

Medical Class :

Second

Medical Date:

06/1996

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Certificates

1 of   2

1

2

DOI :	08/12/1977
Certificate:	COMMERCIAL PILOT

Rating(s):
COMMERCIAL PILOT           AIRPLANE SINGLE ENGINE LAND
AIRPLANE MULTIENGINE LAND
INSTRUMENT AIRPLANE

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  Showing 1 of 2 | Next  

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Technical Problems with this page?	Accessibility	Privacy Policy
For further information, please contact: Civil Aviation Registry AFS-700 PO BOX 25082 Oklahoma City, OK 73125

[billorites]

ALYCE STUART TAYLOR

Address

Street	6822 LAGUNA VERDE
City	SAN ANTONIO	State	TEXAS
County	BEXAR	Zip Code	78239-3628
Country	UNITED STATES

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Medical

Medical Class :

Second

Medical Date:

06/1996

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Certificates

2 of   2

1

2

DOI :	05/30/2003
Certificate:	FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR

Rating(s):
FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR           AIRPLANE SINGLE ENGINE
INSTRUMENT AIRPLANE

Limits

VALID ONLY WHEN ACCOMPANIED BY PILOT CERTIFICATE NO. EXPIRES: 31 May 2005.

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  Previous | Showing 2 of 2  

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Technical Problems with this page?	Accessibility	Privacy Policy
For further information, please contact: Civil Aviation Registry AFS-700 PO BOX 25082 Oklahoma City, OK 73125

[billorites]

"Afzal Hameed? Sounds swarthy."

No record showing he/she's a licensed pilot. Don't need to be to own an aircraft.

[Holicheese]

He is actually swiss I think!

[billorites]

The Dover, Delaware registration suggests some corporate entity.

Lot's of aircraft registered in DE.

[ElephantinTexas]

More info here-

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1327840/posts

[Mamzelle]

Dover--I was thinking the same thing--veils of incorporation. Already did a google on his name--nada.

[dalereed]

Even 4 adults is pushing the weight limits of a 172 and you better not be very tall in the rear 2 seats.

[Mamzelle]

re: the agency received no response in 2002 after mailing new registration forms to Hameed.)))

Is that so? Three whole years, doesn't he care about his expensive little toy?

[Quilla]

Apparently, he and Taylor are married:

145953 AFZAL HAMEED 23 TAYLOR ALYCE S 45 13-Oct-1980

Source: http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/tx/atascosa/vitals/marriages/1980/atascm80.txt

[billorites]

Tiny terrorists?

[Quilla]

And she's old enough to be his mother -- not that there's anything wrong with that. /seinfeld

[DoctorMichael]

"ATTENTION. Paging ALYCE STUART TAYLOR, Paging ALYCE STUART TAYLOR. Please report to the front desk. The Authorities would like to ask you a few questions. Paging ALYCE STUART TAYLOR."

[Frank_Discussion]

I found an author by the name of A. Hameed on something called bahoo.net. Via Yahoo.

[jimbo123]

Looks like the oft-discussed by jihadis Operation Jihad Falcon has been disrupted. I wonder if the plot was to detonate multiple dirty bombs or chemical agents over major cities.

[Mamzelle]

!!!--wow! She's his US anchor, possibly...

[Mamzelle]

Quilla, what steps did you use to find this info? Did you already have the name of the county?

[Ginifer]

Hey....look at this website...

http://www.beapilot.com/cgi-local/schools/record_display.pl?482

The name is reversed, but the person actually has a flying school in San Antonio, TX.

[Quilla]

I just searched google with his name in quotes.

[maggief]

An earlier thread:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1327840/posts

[AnAmericanMother]

"The five had been flying in a single-engine Cessna 172P south of San Antonio."

Neat trick. That's a four seat aircraft.

I'll say. It's a tiny four seat aircraft. Maybe one in the luggage area?

Hate to see the weight-and-balance calculations . . . < g >

[indianaconservative]

Actually it matches the marriage record (which lists Last first)
145953 AFZAL HAMEED 23 TAYLOR ALYCE S 45 13-Oct-1980

[conservative in nyc]

When paged, the authorities will remember that Ms. Taylor and Mr. Hameed co-own Alpha Tango Flying Services, Inc., which was one of 4 flight schools used to train the convicted ringleader of the mid-1990s Project Boijnka plot to crash 12 planes into the Pacific and 1 into CIA headquarters. The FBI knows who these people are. Heck, they're probably routinely in contact with flight school owners.

There's more information on the other thread.

[mimmson]

Michelle Malkin adds this:

Four immigrants and a pilot were detained after a Homeland Security Department division helped surround their plane at Stinson Municipal Airport on Monday night.

The five are being investigated in connection with a smuggling operation involving Chinese nationals, said Capt. Jeff Humphrey, San Antonio police special operations commander.

The five had been flying in a single-engine Cessna 172P south of San Antonio.

The co-owner of the plane, Afzal Hameed, is president of Alpha Tango Flying Services in San Antonio, which trains pilots and mechanics.

Guess who trained at Alpha Tango Flying Services--which, by the way, caters to Saudi Arabian flight students(!!!!):

Among their clients were three Arab flight students investigated by the FBI, including Al Qaeda operative Abdul Hakim Murad , who was arrested in Manila in 1995 and later convicted in New York of plotting to blow up a dozen U.S. airliners over the Pacific, then crash a suicide plane into CIA headquarters.

The FBI has been keeping tabs on Alpha Tango since Sept. 11. So, now, a plane co-owned by Alpha Tango's president, who is incommunicado, has been forced down with a planeful of Chinese illegal aliens in the wake of a terror alert involving Chinese illegal aliens.

[billorites]

Ton of U.S issued ratings.

Private Pilot license issued in Pakistan in 1980.

BTW, one of my best instructors was a Turk named Ghenghis.

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FAA Registry
Name Inquiry Results

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HAMEED AFZAL

Address

Street	6822 LAGUNA VERDE
City	SAN ANTONIO	State	TEXAS
County	BEXAR	Zip Code	78239-3628
Country	UNITED STATES

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Medical

Medical Class :

Second

Medical Date:

08/2004

• MUST WEAR CORRECTIVE LENSES.
  

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Certificates

1 of   6

1

2

3

4

5

6

DOI :	07/15/1988
Certificate:	AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT

Rating(s):
AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT           AIRPLANE SINGLE ENGINE LAND
COMMERCIAL PRIVILEGES           AIRPLANE MULTIENGINE LAND

[DoctorMichael]

When paged, the authorities will remember that Ms. Taylor and Mr. Hameed co-own Alpha Tango Flying Services, Inc., which was one of 4 flight schools used to train the convicted ringleader of the mid-1990s Project Boijnka plot to crash 12 planes into the Pacific and 1 into CIA headquarters. The FBI knows who these people are. Heck, they're probably routinely in contact with flight school owners.

!

[Frank_Discussion]

Holee Krap!

[Ginifer]

Thanks for the update. The Homeland Security Department must have been watching them until they did something they could "legally" be charged with....IMHO, otherwise you know the liberals would go NUTS!

[ArmyBratproud]

WOAI had a story on it as well-

http://www.woai.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=17053480-D960-4D97-9BF7-04A7492B7271

Plane Forced to Land; Dirty Bomb Link Investigated
LAST UPDATE: 1/25/2005 9:59:13 AM
Posted By: Walker Robinson
Watch this story...


Department of Homeland Security officials forced a small plane carrying four apparently illegal Chinese immigrants and a pilot identified as a Mexican national to land at an airport in San Antonio Monday night, officials said today. The immigrants were being held at Stinson Airfield shortly after federal agents forced their plane down.

Authorities are trying to determine if the four pasengers on board the Cessna 172-P, two men and two women, are linked to a report that several Chinese nationals were attempting to set off a 'dirty bomb' in the Boston area.

Online records of the Federal Aviation Administration show the 20-year-old plane is co-owned by Afzal Hameed of Dover, Del. The other co-owner is listed as Alyce S. Taylor, but no address is given for her. The FAA records state that the plane's last three-year registration was filed in 1999, and that the agency received no response in 2002 after mailing new registration forms to Hameed.

San Antonio Police surrounded the airport close to 9 p.m. Monday after receiving a call for help from the Department of Homeland Security, officials said. The single-engine plane was intercepted after officials said it was flying in American airspace illegally.

"Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials will hold these people and will determine what their status will be," San Antonio police Captain Jeff Humphrey told 1200 WOAI news.

Humphrey said it appears to be an 'alleged smuggling case.'

Officials say the pilot of the plane told investigators that he had taken off from 'south of the border,' but Humphrey said he could not say any more. He said he didn't know where they were heading.

A federal government source who asked not to be identified told 1200 WOAI news a preliminary search of the terrorist data base did not indicate that any of the four passengers were on it.

Humphrey said its undetermined right now whether the four people on board were related to the hint of a dirty bomb plot' in Boston.

"I've been looking at the pictures (of the Boston suspects) on the TV like everybody else, and I did not recognize anything that would make me think that there was a connection," Humphrey said.

He said Department of Homeland Security was also questioning the pilot. No word on his identity.

A man suspected of telling authorities about the possible terror threat in Boston has been detained in a Mexican border town and was being questioned about last week's tip and his motivation for calling it in, FBI officials said. Jose Ernesto Beltran Quinones was taken into custody Monday in Mexicali by Mexican state judicial police, Dan Dzwilewski, special agent in charge of the FBI's San Diego division, told the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Quinones, one of the 16 people sought for questioning last week about the alleged terror plot, was being questioned on behalf of the FBI, special agent Kiffa Shirley told The Associated Press.

"The first area of concern for the FBI is to resolve any pending national security threat issues, and that issue being the statement that was made that nuclear material was being brought into the United States," Dzwilewski said. "We're working with Mexican authorities trying to resolve that question."

Shirley said late Monday he did not know Quinones' nationality, age or occupation, or where he was being questioned.

Officials have stressed since news of the tip first broke that they doubted the credibility of the terror claims. A leading theory was that a smuggler tipped authorities to a false terror plot to exact revenge on a group of Chinese immigrants, perhaps because members failed to pay.

The tipster claimed that members of the group had talked about material supposedly called "nuclear oxide" that would follow them from Mexico to Boston. The implication was that the group was plotting to detonate a radioactive "dirty bomb" that spews hazardous material and can sicken or kill people.

No evidence has been found for such a plot. Still, authorities stepped up security in Boston, and Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney skipped President Bush's inauguration in Washington.

Dzwilewski said the United States would like to extradite Quinones, who Shirley said was being interviewed as part of a joint investigation by the FBI and Mexican authorities.

"We're so pleased with the extraordinary cooperation of Mexican authorities," Shirley said.

Over the weekend, the FBI said another person who had been wanted for questioning in relation to the alleged plot had been in federal custody for more than two months and has no terrorist connections. She was identified as Mei Xia Dong, 21, of China.

For the latest on this developing story, tune now to NewsRadio 1200 WOAI and watch News 4 WOAI for the complete story.

[nw_arizona_granny]

Ping to this thread.

[Calpernia]

bump

[rang1995]

smells funny to me

[Velveeta]

Thanks

[Minutemen]

Nothing suspicious here, lets not jump to conclusions.

[Rightly Biased]

isolated incident < sarcasm/>

[Lurking in Kansas]

Michelle Malkin is on top of this.

http://michellemalkin.com/archives/001329.htm

[WildTurkey]

"The five had been flying in a single-engine Cessna 172P south of San Antonio."

I didn't read the story but the 172 has lots of room for a small kid on the lap.

[blogbat]

At least Secretary Asa Hutchinson is stepping down (now that his damage has been done).

[Hatteras]

Okay, now cross-reference Ms. Taylor with the Kerry campaign's list of donors...

[blogbat]

"Okay, now cross-reference Ms. Taylor with the Kerry campaign's list of donors... Surely you jest! ;)