U.S. Teen Arrested In Plane Hijack Plot

Cops: 16-Year-Old Boy Found With Handcuffs, Rope And Duct Tape Aboard Flight May Be Suicidal

(CBS/AP)  Authorities believe a teen accused of plotting to hijack a plane was suicidal, and a judge was scheduled to decide Friday whether to keep him in custody.

The 16-year-old, who has not been identified by authorities, was removed from a Southwest Airlines flight Tuesday night at Nashville International Airport. He was being held at a juvenile detention facility.

FBI spokesman George Bolds told The Associated Press the teen had handcuffs, rope and duct tape in his bag, and was believed to be traveling alone.

"His plan had a low probability of success," Bolds said.

The teen was calm during the flight from Los Angeles and made no apparent attempt to commandeer the plane, Bolds said. He could not comment further on the teen's mental condition because he is a minor.

Authorities searched the boy's home in California and found a mock cockpit, he said.

The tip to police likely came from his parents; he supposedly used his mother's credit card to buy the airline ticket, reports CBS affiliate WTVF-TV in Nashville. Sources said he may have made similar threats to do something like this in the past.

Juvenile Court Administrator Tim Adgent said a hearing scheduled Friday afternoon would determine whether the teen should remain in custody or "if there other avenues for his release."

A message left with the juvenile public defender's office was not immediately returned.

The boy is currently facing only state charges. Nashville District Attorney General spokeswoman Susan Niland would not release the nature of the charges because the suspect is a minor.

Federal prosecutors were still reviewing the case and had not filed any charges as of Friday morning, said David Boling, spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's office in Middle Tennessee.

The FBI dismissed broadcast reports Thursday night that the teen was planning to crash the plane into a "Hannah Montana" concert in Lafayette, La.

[gunownerdan]

There are bullets specially made to not do much damage inside of an airplane. The fact remains:
You won''t be able to hijack a plane using box-cutters if a pilot, air marshall, or responsible citizen are armed and capable of protecting themselves.

[bubba986]

We should carefully listen to the lessons of the WWII veterans before they''re all gone. Arm the pilots, stewardesses, air marshals, and consider allowing people with concealed carry permits. The ones with concealed carry permits would have to have an airline certification so they knew to use ammunition that would disintegrate after the first impact so as not to be capable of damaging fuel tanks, etc. This would do another thing - protect passengers from security checkpoint entry to the gate. This is a gaping hole right now... everyone is disarmed by definition... Finally, I ask the gun haters... when was the last time you were afraid of a law abiding gun owner and changed your plans? Whether it be to go shopping, to the movies, etc? Answer: Law abiding gun owners are not the ones to be afraid of... the lack there of is something to have concern over.

[bubba986]

We should carefully listen to the lessons of the WWII veterans before they''re all gone. Arm the pilots, stewardesses, air marshals, and consider allowing people with concealed carry permits. The ones with concealed carry permits would have to have an airline certification so they knew to use ammunition that would disintegrate after the first impact so as not to be capable of damaging fuel tanks, etc. This would do another thing - protect passengers from security checkpoint entry to the gate. This is a gaping hole right now... everyone is disarmed by definition... Finally, I ask the gun haters... when was the last time you were afraid of a law abiding gun owner and changed your plans? Whether it be to go shopping, to the movies, etc? Answer: Law abiding gun owners are not the ones to be afraid of... the lack there of is something to have concern over.

[bubba986]

We should carefully listen to the lessons of the WWII veterans before they''re all gone. Arm the pilots, stewardesses, air marshals, and consider allowing people with concealed carry permits. The ones with concealed carry permits would have to have an airline certification so they knew to use ammunition that would disintegrate after the first impact so as not to be capable of damaging fuel tanks, etc. This would do another thing - protect passengers from security checkpoint entry to the gate. This is a gaping hole right now... everyone is disarmed by definition... Finally, I ask the gun haters... when was the last time you were afraid of a law abiding gun owner and changed your plans? Whether it be to go shopping, to the movies, etc? Answer: Law abiding gun owners are not the ones to be afraid of... the lack there of is something to have concern over.

[bubba986]

We should carefully listen to the lessons of the WWII veterans before they''re all gone. Arm the pilots, stewardesses, air marshals, and consider allowing people with concealed carry permits. The ones with concealed carry permits would have to have an airline certification so they knew to use ammunition that would disintegrate after the first impact so as not to be capable of damaging fuel tanks, etc. This would do another thing - protect passengers from security checkpoint entry to the gate. This is a gaping hole right now... everyone is disarmed by definition... Finally, I ask the gun haters... when was the last time you were afraid of a law abiding gun owner and changed your plans? Whether it be to go shopping, to the movies, etc? Answer: Law abiding gun owners are not the ones to be afraid of... the lack there of is something to have concern over.

[Krazcarl]

No one has explained how a 16 year old was going to beat up and subdue 2 grown men with ductape and ropes grab them when they were rolling in laughfter on the cockpit floor. This is beyond stupid and not real on any level....You don''t subdue mem with ductape your have to get them first he was looking for a stay in detox at best.

[bubba986]

We should carefully listen to the lessons of the WWII veterans before they''re all gone. Arm the pilots, stewardesses, air marshals, and consider allowing people with concealed carry permits. The ones with concealed carry permits would have to have an airline certification so they knew to use ammunition that would disintegrate after the first impact so as not to be capable of damaging fuel tanks, etc. This would do another thing - protect passengers from security checkpoint entry to the gate. This is a gaping hole right now... everyone is disarmed by definition... Finally, I ask the gun haters... when was the last time you were afraid of a law abiding gun owner and changed your plans? Whether it be to go shopping, to the movies, etc? Answer: Law abiding gun owners are not the ones to be afraid of... the lack there of is something to have concern over.

[bubba986]

We should carefully listen to the lessons of the WWII veterans before they''re all gone. Arm the pilots, stewardesses, air marshals, and consider allowing people with concealed carry permits. The ones with concealed carry permits would have to have an airline certification so they knew to use ammunition that would disintegrate after the first impact so as not to be capable of damaging fuel tanks, etc. This would do another thing - protect passengers from security checkpoint entry to the gate. This is a gaping hole right now... everyone is disarmed by definition... Finally, I ask the gun haters... when was the last time you were afraid of a law abiding gun owner and changed your plans? Whether it be to go shopping, to the movies, etc? Answer: Law abiding gun owners are not the ones to be afraid of... the lack there of is something to have concern over.

[bubba986]

We should carefully listen to the lessons of the WWII veterans before they''re all gone. Arm the pilots, stewardesses, air marshals, and consider allowing people with concealed carry permits. The ones with concealed carry permits would have to have an airline certification so they knew to use ammunition that would disintegrate after the first impact so as not to be capable of damaging fuel tanks, etc. This would do another thing - protect passengers from security checkpoint entry to the gate. This is a gaping hole right now... everyone is disarmed by definition... Finally, I ask the gun haters... when was the last time you were afraid of a law abiding gun owner and changed your plans? Whether it be to go shopping, to the movies, etc? Answer: Law abiding gun owners are not the ones to be afraid of... the lack there of is something to have concern over.

[bubba986]

We should carefully listen to the lessons of the WWII veterans before they''re all gone. Arm the pilots, stewardesses, air marshals, and consider allowing people with concealed carry permits. The ones with concealed carry permits would have to have an airline certification so they knew to use ammunition that would disintegrate after the first impact so as not to be capable of damaging fuel tanks, etc. This would do another thing - protect passengers from security checkpoint entry to the gate. This is a gaping hole right now... everyone is disarmed by definition... Finally, I ask the gun haters... when was the last time you were afraid of a law abiding gun owner and changed your plans? Whether it be to go shopping, to the movies, etc? Answer: Law abiding gun owners are not the ones to be afraid of... the lack there of is something to have concern over.

[bubba986]

We should carefully listen to the lessons of the WWII veterans before they''re all gone. Arm the pilots, stewardesses, air marshals, and consider allowing people with concealed carry permits. The ones with concealed carry permits would have to have an airline certification so they knew to use ammunition that would disintegrate after the first impact so as not to be capable of damaging fuel tanks, etc. This would do another thing - protect passengers from security checkpoint entry to the gate. This is a gaping hole right now... everyone is disarmed by definition... Finally, I ask the gun haters... when was the last time you were afraid of a law abiding gun owner and changed your plans? Whether it be to go shopping, to the movies, etc? Answer: Law abiding gun owners are not the ones to be afraid of... the lack there of is something to have concern over.

[bubba986]

We should carefully listen to the lessons of the WWII veterans before they''re all gone. Arm the pilots, stewardesses, air marshals, and consider allowing people with concealed carry permits. The ones with concealed carry permits would have to have an airline certification so they knew to use ammunition that would disintegrate after the first impact so as not to be capable of damaging fuel tanks, etc. This would do another thing - protect passengers from security checkpoint entry to the gate. This is a gaping hole right now... everyone is disarmed by definition... Finally, I ask the gun haters... when was the last time you were afraid of a law abiding gun owner and changed your plans? Whether it be to go shopping, to the movies, etc? Answer: Law abiding gun owners are not the ones to be afraid of... the lack there of is something to have concern over.

[bubba986]

We should carefully listen to the lessons of the WWII veterans before they''re all gone. Arm the pilots, stewardesses, air marshals, and consider allowing people with concealed carry permits. The ones with concealed carry permits would have to have an airline certification so they knew to use ammunition that would disintegrate after the first impact so as not to be capable of damaging fuel tanks, etc. This would do another thing - protect passengers from security checkpoint entry to the gate. This is a gaping hole right now... everyone is disarmed by definition... Finally, I ask the gun haters... when was the last time you were afraid of a law abiding gun owner and changed your plans? Whether it be to go shopping, to the movies, etc? Answer: Law abiding gun owners are not the ones to be afraid of... the lack there of is something to have concern over.

[gunownerdan]

The fact is if just one pilot, air marshall, or responsible citizen were armed on each of the 4 planes involved with the 9/11 hijackings, it would have been MUCH harder to hijack them using box-cutters.
Terrorists and other dangerous criminals prefer defenseless victims.
www.a-human-right.com

"Laws that forbid the carrying of arms. . . disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes. . . Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man."
- Thomas Jefferson quoting criminologist Cesare Beccaria,
from "On Crimes and Punishment", 1764

[timtune]

Sorry... School Lord...I do not read as fast as I used to. I just finished reading all of your replies. You have no idea how highly trained the front and rear crews are in aircraft. Your statements have no validity. I will no longer respond because I can clearly see that you do not know of what you speak. It appears that you are a snippet news reader and do not fully understand issues. Please investigate topics prior to commenting. Have a good day.

[timtune]

SchoolLord....Exceptions can be found to any premise and this argument can continue ad infinitum.

There is no hope for thinkers like you. You are the type of person that believes alarms and cameras are security. As I mentioned before the USA is in a tough position because of thinkers like yourself. Sure, I will call for help from my cockpit. Who is coming? The WACS? Let''s add cameras in the aircraft...then we can identify the terrorists; AFTER inocent lives are gone. You are one funny individual. How many years did you spend in the armed forces? Is your flight time and military training all done on Nintendo? The TSA only makes recomendations that do not work, waste money and are politically correct. Look at their retention record. Another government entity helping us. Please refer to my "OLD LADY" statement from before. Next time you are being "mugged" blow into your whistle. Be assured help is on the way. Unfortunately, the USA has many individuals that think like yourself. THAT IS WHY THE TERRORISTS ARE NOT AFRAID!! You can look up the WACS on google; I am sure it was before your time. :)

[michellem99-2009]

Are there women haters or what...

[Krazcarl]

TIMTUNE....thanks for the info...

[timtune]

I used to fly for a major US carrier. We frequently carried handguns in the cockpit and flew with the door open. A majority of the pilots were post WWII vets. A different breed than are flying now. Today we have computer nerds et al. A terrorist in the "good old days" would end up dead either via a gunshot, fire ax or some other unique method. The solution is to arms ALL flight crews...including the back end. A mixture of lethal and non lethal items. Do not think of that flight attendant as just a "drink server". F/A''s are some of the toughest and most capable people on the planet. They are the eyes and ears....the 1st line of defense. Unfortunately, this will never happen due to political correctness, bean counters and the inability our selected leaders to use common sense. Many more inocent people will die. It is a shame. I will continue to fly and watch the old ladies being frisked ..while the most likely supects....you know the rest. God Bless America WE NEED IT !!!

[slim1h2o]

But my claim that they do not arm the pilots is 100% CORRECTOMUNDO!~

Posted by schoollord at 02:25 PM : Jan 26, 2008

Never said you were wrong. I was merely pointing WHY they don''t have to arm their pilots.

Armed security personel are on every flight, and sitting in the passenger area of the plane.

Again,, they don''t need armed Pilots!