Flight diverted to Boston over passenger disturbance

[sa_butta]

BOSTON, Massachusetts (AP) -- A flight from London to Washington, D.C. was diverted to Boston Wednesday morning after the pilot declared an emergency because of a passenger disturbance, the airline said.

United Flight 923 with 182 passengers and 12 crew members landed safely at Boston's Logan International Airport, United spokesman Brandon Borrman said.

A Logan spokesman said three passengers had a confrontation with the flight crew. State Police took control of the plane after it landed. All the passengers were being taken off the plane and their carry-on luggage was being checked, said spokesman Phil Orlandella.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/TRAVEL/08/16/flight.diverted.ap/index.html

[NameDropper]

A passenger had a claustrophobic episode and caused a disturbance is what I've heard.

[midgetonadonkey]

http://www.cnn.com/2006/TRAVEL/08/16/flight.diverted.ap/index.html

BOSTON, Massachusetts (AP) -- Fighter jets escorted a diverted London-to-Washington, D.C., flight to Boston's Logan airport Wednesday after a distraught passenger pulled out a screw driver, matches, Vaseline and a note referencing al-Qaeda, an airport spokesman said.

United Flight 923 landed safely, Logan airport spokesman Phil Orlandella said.

The flight, with 182 passengers and 12 crew members landed safely, UAL Corp. spokesman Brandon Borrman said. Borrman said a female passenger was spotted engaging in some "suspicious" activity, but he could not immediately say what the activity was.

State Police and federal agencies took control of the plane after it landed.

Passengers were seen coming off the plane on the tarmac and being loaded onto a bus. Orlandella said their carry-on luggage was being checked. The flight was from London's Heathrow Airport to Dulles.

Last week, British authorities said they foiled a terror plot to blow up trans-Atlantic flights from London to the United States.

[NameDropper]

I've heard that the rumors about the Al Queda reference is being reputed by security officials.

[CubanMustGo]

Update

http://www.cnn.com/2006/TRAVEL/08/16/flight.diverted.ap/index.html

BOSTON, Massachusetts (AP) -- Fighter jets escorted a London-to-Washington, D.C., flight to Boston's Logan airport Wednesday after the pilot declared an emergency because an apparently claustrophobic passenger caused a disturbance, a federal official said.

The federal security official said there was no indication of terrorism and denied reports that the woman had a screw driver, matches and a note referring to al-Qaeda.

The female passenger aboard United Flight 923 said she was claustrophobic and became very upset and got into some kind of confrontation with the flight crew, said George Naccara, federal security director for the Transportation Security Administration for Massachusetts' airport.

The disturbance -- coming just a week after authorities in London said they foiled a terror plot to blow up trans-Atlantic flights -- was enough to concern the pilot to issue an alert, which activated two fighter jets to escort the flight into Logan, Naccara said.

Naccara said he did not believe any items she was carrying were the cause of the outburst. An airport spokesman previously said the woman was carrying lotion, a screw driver and matches, but backed off the statement, and Naccara said it wasn't true.

The flight, with 182 passengers and 12 crew members landed safely, UAL Corp. spokesman Brandon Borrman said.

State Police and federal agencies took control of the plane after it landed.

Passengers were taken off the plane and loaded onto a bus. Naccara said the passengers were being interviewed. He had no information whether passengers had helped to subdue her.

Passenger luggage was removed from the plane and put on the tarmac, where it was rechecked by security officials and trained dogs.

[Jimcs50]

I am sorry, but that flight attendent was a real bitch. She told me that my carry on was too large to fit into the overhead and I needed to check the damn bag. well, I was going to make that bag fit one way or another.....

[midgetonadonkey]

They should put that lady in Guantanamo Bay for a few months just to teach her that she can't be having claustrophobic fits on planes.

[sa_butta]

I am sorry, but that flight attendent was a real bitch. She told me that my carry on was too large to fit into the overhead and I needed to check the damn bag. well, I was going to make that bag fit one way or another.....http://www.filmwise.com/contests/contest_09/image_13a.jpg
"If you can get it from my Kung Fu grip then you can come and have it, okay?
Oh, yeah? How do you know my bag will be safe below with the other luggage? Huh? Are you physically going to take my bag and put it beneath the plane? Are you going to go right now outside, with the guys with the earmuffs, and go put it in there?"