Bangor, ME – Flight Diverted over Passenger’s Claim of Surgically Implanted Device

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    Passengers de-plane a trans-atlantic flight originating in France on the tarmac at Bangor International Airport, in Bangor, Maine, Tuesday, May 22, 2012. Officials briefed on the incident say a French passenger passed a note to a flight attendant saying she had a surgically implanted device. (AP Photo/Bangor Daily News, Kevin Bennett)Bangor, ME – An FBI spokesman says there’s no indication that a US Airways jetliner or its passengers were in danger before the Paris-to-North Carolina flight diverted to Maine.

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    Officials briefed on the incident say a French passenger passed a note to a flight attendant saying she had a surgically implanted device. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine says two doctors examined the woman, who was born in Cameroon, but found no scars or incisions.

    The FBI and Homeland Security Department warned airlines last summer that terrorists are considering surgically hiding bombs inside humans.

    Two F-15 fighters scrambled to escort Flight 787, with its 179 passengers and nine crew members, to Bangor. The plane landed around noon Tuesday. After the passenger was removed and others questioned by the FBI, the flight to Charlotte resumed 3 1/2 hours later.

    An examination by doctors aboard the plane found that the passenger, a French citizen born in Cameroon, had no scars, said U.S. Rep. Peter King, who was briefed on the matter. The woman was traveling alone without any checked baggage and intended to stay in the U.S. for 10 days, he said.

    The FBI and Homeland Security Department warned airlines last summer that terrorists are considering surgically hiding bombs inside humans to evade airport security. In 2010, it was reported that British officials uncovered intelligence that al-Qaida was seeking to surgically implant bombs inside people.

    Two F-15 fighters scrambled to escort Flight 787 with 179 passengers and nine crew members to Bangor International Airport, where it landed shortly after noon Tuesday.

    Tony Caruso, acting airport manager, told reporters that the passenger was “unruly” and was removed after the jet taxied to a remote part of the airport.

    The jetliner was about 40 minutes from Bangor when local officials were alerted, Caruso said. The remaining passengers from the Boeing 767 were kept in a secure area in the airport before being allowed back onto the jet, which departed 3 1/2 hours later for Charlotte, N.C.

    The Transportation Security Administration issued a statement saying it was aware that the passenger exhibited suspicious behavior during the flight.

    “Out of an abundance of caution, the flight was diverted to (Bangor) where it was met by law enforcement,” said TSA spokesman Sterling Payne.

    The plane was met by state, local and federal law enforcement officers when it landed in Bangor, FBI spokesman Greg Comcowich said. Caruso said the passenger was in FBI custody.

    The Bangor airport is accustomed to dealing with diverted flights.

    It’s the first large U.S. airport for incoming European flights and the last U.S. airport for outgoing flights, with uncluttered skies and one of the longest runways on the East Coast. Aircraft use the airport when there are mechanical problems, medical emergencies or unruly passengers.


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    11 Comments
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    PMOinFL
    PMOinFL
    11 years ago

    Peter King should know if it is true or not. He personally (in his role with the IRA) paid tens of millions of dollars to the PLO to help them develop methods for smuggling weapons and developing bombs that can avoid detection.
    If you want to know how terrorists operate, ask an actual terrorist. Peter King is the ultimate source.

    11 years ago

    It appears that this passenger was a psycho, and the incident was not terrorism related. Unfortunately, even though passengers are screened for weapons, they are not medically or psychologically screened, before boarding a commercial airliner.

    proman
    proman
    11 years ago

    The news should not be reporting these things! coming to america for 10 days with no checked luggage? This is almost apparently a test to see how the US/Airlines would deal with the idea of a true terrorist making this claim, how we respond, handle, react, where the plane goes, how long to notify law enforcement ETC. All the news does is give a 1st rate run down and all of the details!!! We complete the investigation for the bad guys!!!
    In the old days theives would “case” where they were going to rob, now we help them gather the intel so much more efficiently!