Probably a bunch of Maori Tribesman..
The Air Marshal did the right thing. The incident may simply be that an "incident" and the five will be questioned and released. But, if there was something else there, it did not develop into anything else. All on board are safe and five guys have a minor delay for which they may have been responsible for.
They are lucky the passangers did not kick the crap out of them.
Naw, couldn't be, that wouldn't get reported, silly me.
Quick. I posted an OT on LGF (cause they mentioned something happened - as an aside, about 45 mins ago), in case someone heard about it. Glad the marshall was there & did his job. Thanks for posting this.
Maybe the observant air marshall perceived the outline of cigarette packages in their clothing. Possibly even a lighter.
I'm guessing it was another violent ultra-Lutheran cell (apparently other passengers saw them muttering "Sola Scriptura" and "Here I Stand" while they headed towards the cockpit). I'm just glad that the Feds launched "Operation Hot Dish" to nab these Scando-American extremists.
More info starting to come in:
"A senior government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told NBC News that a crew member noticed a man reading a flight manual and notified the pilot. "
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11909506/
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It may have been a rehearsal -- we know the 9-11 hijackers did "dry runs" too.
"detained five foreign-born passengers. (Also from article I just linked above)
Radical Mormon sect?
Bet their Amish.
In addition to outright attacks, part of the enemy's strategy is to engage in disruptive behavior: acts which, while not illegal, succeed in causing us to expend resources (it costs money to divert these flights) and creates uneasiness among the public. For example, it's not illegal to photograph bridges, refineries, etc., but it does cause us to spend money and manpower to investigate these incidents, and does make the newspapers.
PING FYI
By Jasper Copping
(Filed: 07/05/2006)
Fourteen people were arrested after a mid-air "mutiny" in which economy-class passengers on a jumbo jet stormed the first-class cabin.
The pilot of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) aircraft radioed for help after the revolt on board the Boeing 747, bound for Manchester from Islamabad. Armed police were waiting when the flight arrived at Manchester and 14 passengers were arrested for "endangering an aircraft".
Cabin crew lost control after the flight was delayed for four hours in searing heat on the tarmac at Islamabad airport. With the economy section packed, a number of passengers decided to upgrade themselves to first class, where many seats were unoccupied.
During the flight, the passengers argued with crew members who asked them to return to their own seats. The aircraft was carrying more than 400 people. The crew became so concerned that police were summoned to meet the flight.
A PIA spokesman said: "The pilot informed staff in Karachi about the problem when he left Islamabad. Police were alerted and all passengers co-operated."
A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police commented: "Several passengers were reported to be trying to enter the first-class area of the plane. When the plane landed, 14 were arrested on suspicion of endangering an aircraft in flight. They have all been bailed until the end of June." He was unable to reveal the nationalities of those arrested.
The incident, on Friday morning, was the second time in a week that police had been called to a Pakistan International Airlines flight at Manchester Airport. Last weekend, they were called to a Karachi-bound jet after passengers caused a disturbance during a long delay. But no arrests were made.
UPDATE:
Five men detained after plane lands at Newark, N.J. airport released
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/World/2006/05/06/1567692-ap.html
Five men detained Saturday after an American Airlines flight landed at Newark Liberty International Airport were found to pose no threat and were released, an FBI spokesman said.
The men - identified only as four Angolan military personnel and an Israeli - were travelling back to their home countries after attending helicopter training school in Texas, said Steven Siegel, a spokesman for the FBI's Newark office.
Fellow passengers on Flight 1874, which had departed from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, became suspicious of the men because they were speaking in foreign languages and had "aircraft flight materials" with them, Siegel said.
A federal marshal on the plane notified authorities at Newark Liberty about the men's behaviour.
Police officers from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the airport, took the men into custody soon after the plane landed around 3:20 p.m., said a Port Authority spokesman.
After being questioned by authorities, the men were released around 6 p.m., Siegel said.
http://www.1010wins.com/pages/32821.php
Foreign Aviation Students Detained at Newark
NEWARK, N.J. (1010 WINS) -- Five airline passengers speaking in foreign languages and carrying "aircraft flight materials" were briefly detained Saturday until authorities determined they were simply returning to their home countries after attending a U.S. helicopter training school.
Fellow passengers on American Airlines Flight 1874, which had departed from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, became suspicious of the men, said Steven Siegel, a spokesman for the FBI's Newark office.
A federal marshal on the plane notified authorities at Newark Liberty International Airport about the men's behavior.
The men — identified only as four Angolan military personnel and an Israeli — had attended helicopter training school in Texas, Siegel said.
Police officers from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the airport, took the men into custody soon after the plane landed around 3:20 p.m., said a Port Authority spokesman.
After being questioned by authorities, the men were released around 6 p.m., Siegel said.
The plane was carrying 121 passengers and five crew members. All other passengers had been released.