Forum: F-16 News

F-16s escort jet back to Schiphol

Wednesday, August 23, 2006; Posted: 8:24 a.m. EDT (12:24 GMT)

The plane was escorted back by F-16 fighter jets.

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands (CNN) -- A Northwest Airlines flight bound for India was escorted back to Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport by F-16 fighter jets on Wednesday.

The plane was turned around after "a couple of passengers displayed behavior of concern," according to Northwest Airlines.

"Northwest is cooperating with the appropriate government officials," the company said in a statement.

The DC-10 plane, bound for Mumbai, was carrying 149 passengers, Northwest said. Flight number 42 has been canceled and will be rescheduled for Thursday.

The airport spokeswoman said the pilot had requested to return to Amsterdam and after the plane landed, there were some arrests.

She would not specify if those arrested were passengers.

Sources told Dutch journalist Marijn Tebbens that the disturbance was the result of some unruly passengers. The plane landed safely at 11:39 a.m. (5:39 a.m. ET), the sources said.

The Northwest Airlines Web site said Flight 42 was scheduled to take off from Schipol at 10:25 a.m. and arrive in Mumbai at 10:35 p.m. local time.

Security has been heightened at airports worldwide following a foiled plot to blow up planes traveling across the Atlantic using liquid explosives.

The alleged plot, which was broken up by British authorities on August 10, involved flights from Britain to the United States.

The Netherlands National Coordinator for Counterterrorism is aware of the situation, but will not look into the matter unless the police investigation determines that terrorism was involved, a spokesman told CNN.

12 arrested after Northwest Airlines turned back

Wednesday, August 23, 2006; Posted: 1:41 p.m. EDT (17:41 GMT)

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands (CNN) -- Dutch police said Wednesday that 12 passengers were in custody after a Northwest Airlines flight bound for Mumbai, India, returned to Amsterdam when several people on board aroused concern.

No formal charges have been laid, police said.

Flight 42 returned to Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport after "a couple of passengers displayed behavior of concern," according to Northwest Airlines.

It is not clear what behavior sparked the response.

"Northwest is cooperating with the appropriate government officials," the company's statement said.

The flight, which originated in Northwest's main hub of Minneapolis-St. Paul a day earlier, landed at Schiphol around noon (6 a.m. ET), about half an hour after it had left, TSA said.

There were 149 passengers on board, Northwest said. Flight 42 has been canceled and will be rescheduled for Thursday.

A spokeswoman for Schiphol Airport said the pilot had made the request to return to Amsterdam.

Security has been heightened at airports worldwide after revelation of an alleged plot to blow up planes traveling across the Atlantic using liquid explosives. The alleged plot, which was uncovered by British authorities on August 10, involved flights from Britain to the United States.

A team of U.S. federal air marshals was on board Wednesday's flight and, along with the crew members, observed suspicious activity shortly after take-off, according to an unnamed U.S. government official.

The official would not elaborate on the nature of the activity.

According to the official, the crew told passengers to follow the instructions of the air marshals after at least one member of the team identified himself as a marshal.

At that point, the pilot diverted the plane.

As a matter of security, the Federal Air Marshal Service does not confirm which flights are patrolled by air marshals.

In general, federal air marshals do not identify themselves to passengers if they believe the crew can handle a situation without assistance.

I wonder what "behavior" they displayed.