Article

2005-06-03 Britain

Virgin Atlantic Flight Sending Out Hijack Signal

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Posted by badanov 2005-06-03 10:47|| || Front Page|| [3 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 The fighter jets fly along side the plane in question and the pilots are able to see both the pilots in the cockpit, as well as the passengers. No one looked particularly alarmed, the aviation source told FOX News.
I think I might look somewhat alarmed if I looked out the window and saw a bunch of F-16s making strafing runs at my flight.

Posted by bigjim-ky 2005-06-03 10:53|| 2005-06-03 10:53|| Front Page Top

#2 I'd not be alarmed if nothing else was going on to indicate a problem. But I'd have my camera out for some great stories after landing.

Posted by Mrs. Davis 2005-06-03 11:05|| 2005-06-03 11:05|| Front Page Top

#3 The lovely Patti Ann Brown just reported on the uneventful landing. She's wearing a nice sweater, her hair is perfect, and she looks happy, but properly concerned. All is well.

Posted by .com 2005-06-03 11:05|| 2005-06-03 11:05|| Front Page Top

#4 Looks like the flight has landed in Canada after the fighter look-see.

Posted by rkb 2005-06-03 11:05|| 2005-06-03 11:05|| Front Page Top

#5 mmmmm Patti Ann Brown

Posted by Frank G">Frank G 2005-06-03 11:53|| 2005-06-03 11:53|| Front Page Top

#6 Heh ... it was an Airbus.

Virgin Atlantic spokeswoman Brooke Lawer said the transponder alert was a "false alert." The Airbus A340-600 aircraft was carrying 273 passengers and 16 crew.

figures.

Posted by too true 2005-06-03 12:06|| 2005-06-03 12:06|| Front Page Top

#7 It just occurred to me that if a hijacked plane was diverted to Canada, what if the jihadis decided to take out the first Canadian building they saw, can you imagine the screaming from the i-hate-america freaks?

Posted by Laurence of the Rats">Laurence of the Rats 2005-06-03 12:31|| http://www.punictreachery.com/]">[http://www.punictreachery.com/] 2005-06-03 12:31|| Front Page Top

#8 LaR, the plane was intercepted and escorted down by (presumably) Canadian F-18s. Not likely they would have had a chance.

Posted by too true 2005-06-03 12:36|| 2005-06-03 12:36|| Front Page Top

#9 I posted something similar at LGF and would like some Rburger responses as well:

Doesn't make more sense if you are AQ (or any terrorist) and want to replicate 911 to originate here and not overseas? More fuel for one. Who would think they would go from here to Paris to seed terror since the Frenchies, Brits, Germans have more of the outspoken radicals and notorious mosques. Seems everyone is also alert to all these no fly lists and diverts to Bangor and Halifax. Never hear of any domestically originated flights having similar diversions. I don't know but we seem fixated on the one direction when in 911 it all originated here on the east coast to take advantage of full fuel supply.

Posted by Jack is Back!">Jack is Back! 2005-06-03 14:18|| 2005-06-03 14:18|| Front Page Top

#10 Turf issues. We control all the flights that originate here, so security must be OK. They aren't meeting our high standards abroad (/sarcasm), so it's more likely a terr could comandeer a plane coming from overseas. It's all been bullshit since the heroic passengers of Flight 93 showed the Terrs why they will never again succeed with this tactic, at least on a plane with 50% Americans.

Posted by Mrs. Davis 2005-06-03 14:23|| 2005-06-03 14:23|| Front Page Top

#11 You're assuming that the intent is to crash the plane again. A more likely scenario is to hijack it, issue demands and then slit throats one at a time in front of cameras.

Posted by rkb 2005-06-03 14:33|| 2005-06-03 14:33|| Front Page Top

#12 Doesn't matter what they do, terrs take a plane, the passengers will crash it.

Posted by Mrs. Davis 2005-06-03 14:40|| 2005-06-03 14:40|| Front Page Top

#13 American passengers will crash it, Mrs. D. -- no guarantee that people from the rest of the world will share our sensibility in this matter. And much more likely that flights originating outside the U.S. will have a high proportion o' them there furriners. ;-)

Posted by trailing wife 2005-06-03 16:24|| 2005-06-03 16:24|| Front Page Top

#14 RKB
Yep. Or in a mall. :(

Posted by Shipman from 2005-06-03 17:05|| 2005-06-03 17:05|| Front Page Top

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