Plane makes emergency landing at Dublin; suspect package/behaviour

vard

Anyone have any pictures or additional details? Is this anything more than a cautionary measure?

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2012/0416/breaking44.html

sharkman

Passenger had a very old phone and a piece fell off when she tried to make a call in the loo . Crew found the piece and declared an emergency .

Will be departing by 19.00.

vard

sharkman wrote: »

Passenger had a very old phone and a piece fell off when she tried to make a call in the loo . Crew found the piece and declared an emergency .

Will be departing by 19.00.

Ahhaah, that's brilliant.

To think, the guy's there ****ting himself thinking "I hope the crew don't think I was trying to use my phone mid-flight" while the crew are there ****ting themselves thinking he's got a bomb...

Would be a good ad for getting a new phone upgrade...

BrianD

Well one hopes that Delta get whacked with the bill. Utter stupidity and we seem to seeing more of this from airlines.

kub

Two things come to mind, stupidity and paranoia.

homerjay2005

i was in the airport earlier and seen this coming in...didnt seem anything amiss at all, looked a normal arrival.

typera12

You can listen to the emergency on liveatc.net archive for today go to this time
EIDW2-Apr-16-2012-1430Z.mp3 on the site

Carvair

Photos here ...


Delta Airlines Boeing 767 N189DN by Flame1958, on Flickr

Carvair

Delta Airlines Boeing 767 N189DN by Flame1958, on Flickr

Carvair

Delta Airlines Boeing 767 N189DN by Flame1958, on Flickr

Delancey

Is it just me or does this sort of paranoia seem to emanate from , for the most part , Americans ?

tippilot

Delancey wrote: »

Is it just me or does this sort of paranoia seem to emanate from , for the most part , Americans ?

There's a bit more to this than is being said here. Seems the phone was left charging in the lav with an improvised charger with home made wiring.

cyrusdvirus

BrianD wrote: »

Well one hopes that Delta get whacked with the bill. Utter stupidity and we seem to seeing more of this from airlines.

I'd prefer caution bordering on paranoia when i'm travelling at 34000feet to a blasé devil may care ah sure it'll be grand attitude myself....

A device plugged into the aircraft's electrical system, with home made wiring??? The only stupidity exhibited here was by the gob****e who plugged the thing in.

roundymac

Delancey wrote: »

Is it just me or does this sort of paranoia seem to emanate from , for the most part , Americans ?

It's very easy to be talking in hindsight. America airlines did have aircraft hijacked and crashed during 9/11, Richard Reid the shoebomber flying into Boston, the guy from Nigieria who only manged to burn the bollocks off himself(Delta/Northwestern flt), there could be a few more that I'v missed. Also that flight originated from Turkey a country with a large muslim population. Paranoia, don't annoy me, the only people with paranoia are those saying that Delta were paranoid.:mad:

BrianD

gatecrash wrote: »

I'd prefer caution bordering on paranoia when i'm travelling at 34000feet to a blasé devil may care ah sure it'll be grand attitude myself....

A device plugged into the aircraft's electrical system, with home made wiring??? The only stupidity exhibited here was by the gob****e who plugged the thing in.

How about would the person who left the phone charging please come forward?

Can you quote sources re homemade wiring?

Correct me if I'm wrong but wouldn't the phone have been scanned already along with it's charger.

Also what would happen if I went in for a quick shave, got distracted and left my Philishave plugged in with a blinking green light?

If the airline provides electrical sockets they should expect them for use. With so many handheld devices about I would suspect that the queue for the loo might be a queue for a quick recharge.

cyrusdvirus

BrianD wrote: »

How about would the person who left the phone charging please come forward?

It's easy to say that in hindsight. But the crew HAVE to be cautious. There are an awful amount of IED's detonated by phone call....
I'd prefer the Hoo-hah of an un-needed security emergency to the big bang and aluminium shower that could have possibly followed an announcement that the crew make at FL340.

BrianD wrote: »

Can you quote sources re homemade wiring?

If i quote Tipp Pilot will that be cheating?? :D;):p

BrianD wrote: »

Correct me if I'm wrong but wouldn't the
phone have been scanned already along with it's charger.

More than likely. Same as the stanley blades used on September 11th, same as the shoe bombers shoes, same as those lads with the liquid bombs would have been scanned....

BrianD wrote: »

Also what would happen if I went in for a quick shave, got distracted and left my Philishave plugged in with a blinking green light?

There's a difference between forgetting a razor accidentally, and deliberately leaving a phone on charge. You KNOW you've left the phone in there...

BrianD wrote: »

If the airline provides electrical sockets they should expect them for use. With so many handheld devices about I would suspect that the queue for the loo might be a queue for a quick recharge.

As you mentioned, Mick O leary is probably taking note!!

BrianD

gatecrash wrote: »

It's easy to say that in hindsight. But the crew HAVE to be cautious. There are an awful amount of IED's detonated by phone call....
I'd prefer the Hoo-hah of an un-needed security emergency to the big bang and aluminium shower that could have possibly followed an announcement that the crew make at FL340.

Common sense still trumps all. Bomb attempts are getting more and more sophisticated - the shoe bomber and the guy with the explosives in his jocks (They reckon that the next attack could be by a person with a bomb in them.) Primarily because devices like mobile phones get detected and scanned. It doesn't make sense that a bomber would a) have to charge his device and b) rely on mobile phone signals on an international flight.

If i quote Tipp Pilot will that be cheating?? :D;):p

By all means but I haven't seen it referenced in news articles. These may now have been updated.

More than likely. Same as the stanley blades used on September 11th, same as the shoe bombers shoes, same as those lads with the liquid bombs would have been scanned....

I thought the problem here was that you were allowed to bring "box knives" below a certain length in hand luggage prior to 9/11? No smuggling. Unfortunately, the only thing that equals American security paranoia is their own security lapses. The 9/11 hijackers were let in on visas, box cutters were allowed, the Christmas Day bomber was on a no fly list, commercial interests mean that matches are allowed on planes..

There's a difference between forgetting a razor accidentally, and deliberately leaving a phone on charge. You KNOW you've left the phone in there...

But what would have happened if a cabin crew came across a shaver hanging out of the socket? Divert the flight?

As you mentioned, Mick O leary is probably taking note!!

I'd imagine so. Actually, I'm surprised that airlines do have shaver sockets. It does mean that anything can be plugged in and you can nver be guaranteed that user equipment won't cause a short (unlikely but possible). Plus with a hoard of gadgets on board during long flights it's inevitable that passengers will look to juice them up (and do stupid things).

I wonder did the passenger get his phone back?

kub

I can just imagine the panic if that happened while the aircraft was in American airspace. Bloody thing would have been escorted by a dozen fighter aircraft, then landed in some remote airport. Then just imagine all the news flashes on American TV....and why, because someone left their mobile phone plugged in, in the jax. Again typical American paranoia or is it just common sense they lack....do they still believe in leprechans?

troposphere

kub wrote: »

I can just imagine the panic if that happened while the aircraft was in American airspace. Bloody thing would have been escorted by a dozen fighter aircraft, then landed in some remote airport. Then just imagine all the news flashes on American TV....and why, because someone left their mobile phone plugged in, in the jax. Again typical American paranoia or is it just common sense they lack....do they still believe in leprechans?

It would be more like 2 fighter aircraft and they are on standby anyway so they just use these types of false threats against aircraft as practice. I don't even think they get told of the threat until they are airborne.

With the news situation in America, there is 4 national cable news networks, 4 nightly news casts, and each local market can anywhere from 2-6 stations that broadcast local news for hours each day. Just because they cover each minor aviation incident doesn't really mean anything because they also cover lots of other minor stories. They have helicopters flying around and it is very easy to show a plane landing or a traffic accident instead of having a reporter go out and investigate a story.

Who leaves a cell phone charging in an airplane bathroom? 90% of people have a cellphone so whatever way this was left was obviously weird enough for at least one passenger and the flight attendant to not be sure of what it was.

cyrusdvirus

kub wrote: »

I can just imagine the panic if that happened while the aircraft was in American airspace. Bloody thing would have been escorted by a dozen fighter aircraft, then landed in some remote airport. Then just imagine all the news flashes on American TV....and why, because someone left their mobile phone plugged in, in the jax. Again typical American paranoia or is it just common sense they lack....do they still believe in leprechans?

How is it typical American paranoia? Who, in their right mind, leaves a bloody phone plugged in on charge in a toilet?

Give me over the top caution and security to make sure i get to my destination, even if a bit delayed, over a rapidly expanding cloud of smoke, plane parts, body parts and fire any day.

How were the crew to know that this wasn't interfering with their electrical systems?

Just cos it had the case of a mobile phone doesn't mean flight crew can definitely say it WAS a mobile phone.





Put a case on the front of that stereo and it looks for all the world like any other stereo..... Until it detonates over Lockerbie



What about this one? It'll blow up over the Atlantic Ocean on board Air India flight 182.

BrianD

gatecrash wrote: »

How is it typical American paranoia? Who, in their right mind, leaves a bloody phone plugged in on charge in a toilet?

Give me over the top caution and security to make sure i get to my destination, even if a bit delayed, over a rapidly expanding cloud of smoke, plane parts, body parts and fire any day.

How were the crew to know that this wasn't interfering with their electrical systems?

Just cos it had the case of a mobile phone doesn't mean flight crew can definitely say it WAS a mobile phone.





Put a case on the front of that stereo and it looks for all the world like any other stereo..... Until it detonates over Lockerbie



What about this one? It'll blow up over the Atlantic Ocean on board Air India flight 182.

You are talking about events that took place over 20 years ago when airport scanning systems were less sophisticated and security regimes were also not as sophisticated.

The fact of the matter is that planes are now full of portable electronic devices - there are probably more on a flight than passengers. What is an electrical socket for? Plugging and powering portable devices. So an allowable device was being used in an expected way and a plane gets diverted?

tippilot

So you think that shaver sockets in long haul aircraft lavs are for walking away and leaving your phone on charge?

Any idea how much plastic explosive is required to breach a pressurized aircraft?

The level of desktop heroism here is astounding.

Has anyone ever flown Delta? If you have you will have noticed the age profile of the cabin crew. They had just come from an overnight in a Muslim country. They were carrying 30 Iraqi refugees. A phone with a strange looking charger is left in the toilet. You'd want to be blind not to see how this happened.

cyrusdvirus

BrianD wrote: »

You are talking about events that took place over 20 years ago when airport scanning systems were less sophisticated and security regimes were also not as sophisticated.

The fact of the matter is that planes are now full of portable electronic devices - there are probably more on a flight than passengers. What is an electrical socket for? Plugging and powering portable devices. So an allowable device was being used in an expected way and a plane gets diverted?

What's expected about leaving a mobile phone on charge in the toilet of a frigging airplane???

I was using the pictures of the 2 stereos to demonstrate that just cos something LOOKS innocuous doesn't mean it is.

Remember the liquid bomb plot from 2006. Since then we're limited by the amount of liquid we can bring on board. The lads who get their jollies out of blowing stuff up are constantly working on new ways of getting through security.

Again, i'm with the side of security and paranoia on this one.

brandon_flowers

gatecrash wrote: »

What's expected about leaving a mobile phone on charge in the toilet of a frigging airplane???

I was using the pictures of the 2 stereos to demonstrate that just cos something LOOKS innocuous doesn't mean it is.

Remember the liquid bomb plot from 2006. Since then we're limited by the amount of liquid we can bring on board. The lads who get their jollies out of blowing stuff up are constantly working on new ways of getting through security.

Again, i'm with the side of security and paranoia on this one.

I think we already know what side your on.

BrianD

tippilot wrote: »

So you think that shaver sockets in long haul aircraft lavs are for walking away and leaving your phone on charge?

Any idea how much plastic explosive is required to breach a pressurized aircraft?

The level of desktop heroism here is astounding.

Has anyone ever flown Delta? If you have you will have noticed the age profile of the cabin crew. They had just come from an overnight in a Muslim country. They were carrying 30 Iraqi refugees. A phone with a strange looking charger is left in the toilet. You'd want to be blind not to see how this happened.

More paranoia and your mindset departs from reason. Why not stop flights to muslim countries?

Well we'd like to see the desktop heroism matched by some rational behaviour from the aircrew.

going back to the electrical sockets. Yes in 2012 I would expect that passengers would be using them to charge their devices. I would suspect that they are used more for this purpose than shaving. Look at the demand for charging outlets at concerts, on the high street ... It would be somewhat idiotic of airlines not to have this boxed off by now.

Plastic explosives? Probably the same amount that would be the size of a battery. Which means there is potentially more bombs on a flight than passengers. Every passenger has a phone in their pocket ...

bkehoe

BrianD wrote: »

going back to the electrical sockets. Yes in 2012 I would expect that passengers would be using them to charge their devices. I would suspect that they are used more for this purpose than shaving. Look at the demand for charging outlets at concerts, on the high street ... It would be somewhat idiotic of airlines not to have this boxed off by now.

There's no problem with passengers using the electrical outlets on an aircraft to charge their various portable devices - in fact most airlines are offering or introducing in-seat power sockets these days.

What you don't seem to have understood is that in this particular case the device was ABANDONED in the lavatory! And reportedly had its wiring modified in some way and was taped up in a bundle.

I can certainly say that I'd be extremely suspicious of a 'home made' package like this if I saw it anywhere, especially in the lavatory on an aircraft!

cyrusdvirus

brandon_flowers wrote: »

I think we already know what side your on.

Well considering I've said it repeatedly I'm not gonna give you marks for perceptiveness.

cyrusdvirus

BrianD wrote: »

[]

More paranoia and your mindset departs from reason. Why not stop flights to muslim countries?

Well we'd like to see the desktop heroism matched by some rational behaviour from the aircrew.

going back to the electrical sockets. Yes in 2012 I would expect that passengers would be using them to charge their devices. I would suspect that they are used more for this purpose than shaving. Look at the demand for charging outlets at concerts, on the high street ... It would be somewhat idiotic of airlines not to have this boxed off by now.

Plastic explosives? Probably the same amount that would be the size of a battery. Which means there is potentially more bombs on a flight than passengers. Every passenger has a phone in their pocket ...

Brian, rational behaviour by the flight crew is getting the damn plane on the ground as soon as possible. It's not as if the phone owner was sitting on the bloody toilet, it was LEFT there. Unattended. Not being watched. I'll admit that it's been a while since I last flew, so I can't be sure as to the style of electrical powerpoint aboard an aircraft, but I'd say it's a reasonable assumption to make that the outlet wouldn't match up with a bog standard mobile phone power supply. Which leads me to believe that the cable being used to charge this mobile was jury-rigged in some way.

Which is why the flight crew were justified in diverting and declaring an emergency.