Passengers removed from Spirit Airlines flight at BWI Airport

[liberal N proud]

Passengers removed from Spirit Airlines flight at BWI Airport

BALTIMORE (WBFF) - A Spirit Airlines flight at BWI Airport was called back to the gate while taxiing to takeoff early Tuesday morning.

Spirit Airlines confirmed that four passengers were removed from the plane "out of an abundance of caution" after a passenger alerted a flight attendant of a person "engaged in suspicious activity on board."

The airline released the following statement around 9 a.m., and said the flight was scheduled to take off "shortly":

Spirit Airlines flight 969, scheduled for a 6am departure from Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI) to Chicago O'Hare international Airport (ORD), experienced a delay this morning due to law enforcement activity. While the aircraft was taxiing to the runway, a passenger alerted a flight attendant of a passenger engaged in suspicious activity on board. The flight attendant notified the captain, and out of an abundance of caution, the plane returned to the gate. Law enforcement officers removed four passengers from the plane for questioning. All passengers were deplaned for a brief time. The aircraft and luggage has been cleared by the TSA and the plane is scheduled to take off shortly. All questions regarding the investigation should be directed to the TSA and Maryland Transportation Authority Police.


http://foxbaltimore.com/news/local/report-passengers-removed-from-flight-at-bwi-airport

[marble falls]

1. Middle Eastern passengers were removed because a mother and child tried to move toward the back of..

the plane during the taxi. Live tweeters mention that some of the passengers had back packs.

Like the song says, "paranoia strikes deep, into your heart it will creep."

This is the crap fear produces.

[leftynyc]

2. I would also be suspicious

of anyone attempting to move around on the plane during taxiing - which is strictly forbidden. That's not paranoia - that's being suspicious of abject stupidity.

[MindPilot]

4. Agreed that's not suspicious activity, that's just pain dumb.

Odd thing to me is that a passenger reported it...seems like somebody getting up and wandering about during taxi would have the FAs in full "sit the fuck down!" mode.

I think you should be able to sue somebody who does some stupid shit that causes a flight delay.

[zipplewrath]

6. Hardly "strictly"

As someone who has done more than my fair share of traveling, I've seen this more than once. People tend to shift around, especially on lightly loaded aircraft. The worst are people traveling with children that didn't get seated together. Probably what made this a tad over the top was the distance. Usually people are just switching a few rows. It sounds like these folks were basically trying to go from the front to the back. That usually gets the FA's hollerin' over the intercom. But I've never see a plane return to the gate.

[leftynyc]

13. During taxiing?

No - people are not allowed to move around during taxiing. Once they reach a cruising altitude, yes but not during taxiing.

[zipplewrath]

14. Not allowed they do

I've seen it a bunch. I've never seen the plane go back. Now, admittedly, they are usually jumping a row or two, not trying to go front to back as was implied here. But still, "strictly" is hardly the description. Like I say, the worst I ever saw was a plane stop taxing until the mommy came back with the kid that just HAD to pee during taxi. Still, we didn't go back to the gate.

[liberal N proud]

3. Back packs - have they not walked through an airport?

Paranoia, it will destroy ya!

[FLPanhandle]

5. That's not paranoia.

I am on over 100 flights per year for work and getting up and moving during the airplane taxi will get even me (an older white man) thrown off.

[zipplewrath]

7. Well, I never have, but I usually am just crossing the aisle.

I've seen more than one person pull this stunt. I've even switched sides of the aisle myself. But I've never seen the plane go back to the gate.

[FLPanhandle]

10. If you've seen someone is going down the aisle, you know how ballistic the Flight attendants get.

It happens on my flights a few times a year. Going back to the gate has only happened when the passenger doesn't obey the flight attendants quickly or argues with them. It's not often we go back, but it happens.

[zipplewrath]

11. Oh yeah.

I get a tad PO'ed myself on some flights because I'm worried it's going to delay us somehow. I've had planes stop taxing until they got mommy and her ward back in their seats after the emergency trip to the bathroom. Like I say, I suspect one problem here was that they were doing more than a little row hopping. They seemed to be headed quite far aft.

[marble falls]

9. This stuff is ridiculous.....

Suspect video sparks passengers' removal at Baltimore airport
Source: Reuters

Four passengers were taken off a Spirit Airlines Inc (SAVE.O) flight at Baltimore on Tuesday after one who appeared to be Muslim viewed what another passenger thought was an Islamic State video, a government source said.

Initial checks of the three men and a woman and their baggage found nothing suspicious, said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Spirit said that the incident took place when Flight 969 from Baltimore-Washington International Airport to Chicago O’Hare International Airport was taxiing to the runway.

"A passenger alerted a flight attendant of a passenger engaged in suspicious activity on board," it said. The plane returned to the gate, and police removed the four.


Read more at Reutershttp://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/17/us-spirit-airlines-passengers-idUSKCN0T61VO20151117#Tk8GDI6j1FfQRhdZ.99

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/17/us-spirit-airlines-passengers-idUSKCN0T61VO20151117#820Blv6j2TpBtv32.97

Thanks: http://www.democraticunderground.com/10141262733

[dembotoz]

8. seems like i always need to pee during taxi

like a pavlov dog thing....

good i do not fly much

i understand you can not do that i understand the need to be careful
just no one ever talks to my bladder...

[Tipperary]

12. Getting up during taxi is just not allowed.

I do not care what your religion might be. Sit the fuck down when the plane is moving on the runway.

[npk]

15. And so it starts again

Expect to see a lot more of this. There was a fire at a Muslim faith center in my area a few days ago that is being investigated as a suspicious fire. I just hope we don't see the same kind of violence against Muslims that we saw after 9/11 in this country.

[TBF]

16. People have lost their minds.

The child had to go to the bathroom.

And yes I've flown a lot. And yes I have children.