A Bangladesh Airline Makes An Emergency Landing In Bangkok

[george]

A Bangladesh airline makes an emergency landing in Bangkok

BANGKOK: -- A Bangladesh airline has made an emergency landing at Don Muang Airport on Monday after a fight break out between passengers during a fight.

One passenger is reportedly armed with knife.

--TNA 2008-04-08

[Boater]

and where was the plane originally coming from??? as how the hel_l did the Guy get a Knife onto the plane?!?

[Crossy]

and where was the plane originally coming from??? as how the hel_l did the Guy get a Knife onto the plane?!?

Fight originated in KL

No mention of a weapon in this report http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/04/08/...ncy-Landing.php

This Indian site reckons the aircraft was actually hijacked http://www.topnews.in/hijacker-take-biman-...-bangkok-231827

I'm not about to try, but I reckon I could get a thin-blade onto a flight at Swampy. I tend to wear my site boots because they're comfy (and heavy if I put them in checked baggage), they have steel toecaps and steel sole plates but they never cause any issues with either the gate type detector or the guy with the wand, it would be sooo easy......

Edited April 8, 2008 by Crossy

[siam2007]

and where was the plane originally coming from??? as how the hel_l did the Guy get a Knife onto the plane?!?

Fight originated in KL

No mention of a weapon in this report http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/04/08/...ncy-Landing.php

This Indian site reckons the aircraft was actually hijacked http://www.topnews.in/hijacker-take-biman-...-bangkok-231827

I'm not about to try, but I reckon I could get a thin-blade onto a flight at Swampy. I tend to wear my site boots because they're comfy (and heavy if I put them in checked baggage), they have steel toecaps and steel sole plates but they never cause any issues with either the gate type detector or the guy with the wand, it would be sooo easy......

that would be EXTREMELY embarrassing for KUL airport then.....

[Scott]

I hope they get this sorted out--not that I fly on Bangladesh Airlines though.

[toptuan]

Twice in the last three years, I have walked onto a commercial passenger jet without any inspection whatsoever of my daypack (both times I absentmindedly left it on my back and walked through the metal detector which was unmanned), and merrily made my way down the jetway to the aircraft. Where: Once in Phnom Penh, and another time at Taipei's international airport. Scary.

[george]

Update:

Biman Bangladesh hijacked plane lands at Don Muang Airport

BANGKOK: -- A hijacker forced a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight from Malaysia to land at Bangkok’s Don Mueang Airport, media reports said. The hijacker was taken into custody as soon as the plane landed in Bangkok. The hijacker was appraently a Malay and was reported to be an unruly passenger named Hasan Ali who took out a small knife.

The times of Indian quoted the head of the Department of Civil Aviation, Chaisak Angkasuwan, who said that a passenger was carrying a fruit knife, which the pilot believed could pose a threat to the flight.

“A fight broke out on the plane. A man believed to have a mental problem was carrying a fruit knife. Authorities have no idea how he got it on the plane,” Chaisak said.

However, Bangkok Post reports that earlier reports said there were physical assaults between cabin crews and passengers, but the Airports of Thailand President, AM Chana U-sathaporn confirmed in a television interview that it was a hijack.

Biman Bangladesh Airlines Ltd the national flag carrier of Bangladesh has started its journey from scratch virtually with no aircraft, no ancilliaries. It came into operation immediately after the war of independence. Biman now has flights to South Asia, South-East Asia and Far-East, Gulf and Middle-East region and Europian Union.

Recently, Biman Bangladesh signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) Saturday for the purchase of eight aircraft worth $1.26 billion from Boeing. Under the MoU, Biman will buy four Boeing-777-300 ER series and four Being 787-8 models from the American company.

--thaindian.com 2008-04-08

[george]

Plane Makes Emergency Landing in Bangkok

BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) — A Bangladesh Airlines plane made an emergency landing Tuesday in Bangkok after a fight broke out between two passengers during the flight, airport officials said.

There were no immediate reports of injuries aboard the aircraft, which was carrying about 70 passengers from Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia to the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka, said spokeswoman Monrudee Kejphan of the Airport Authority of Thailand.

Passengers said the fight broke out when a man started making a commotion during the flight and then hit a fellow passenger who asked him to quiet down, Monrudee said.

The aircraft contacted the control tower at Bangkok's Don Muang airport and requested permission to land.

Thai authorities boarded the plane on the tarmac and removed the passenger who had started the altercation, Monrudee said.

The flight was expected to continue without him to Bangladesh, Monrudee said.

--AP 2008-04-08

[george]

Hijacked plane lands at Don Mueang Airport

BANGKOK: -- Pilots of Biman Bangladesh Airlines heading from Malaysia to Bangladesh made an emergency landing at Don Mueang Airport on Tuesday morning after a man hijacked the plane.

The hijacker is reportedly a Malay native. He was taken into custody by the Immigration Bureau after the plane landed in Bangkok.

The man - believed to have mental problems - used a knife to try to attack other passengers.

The pilots were afraid the situation would get out of control so they asked permission for an emergency landing at Suvarnabhumi Airport but airport officials asked them to land at Don Mueang instead.

Earlier reports said there were physical assaults between cabin crews and passengers, but the Airports of Thailand President, AM Chana U-sathaporn confirmed in a television interview that it was a hijack.

The plane BG 042 reportedly carried 40 to 50 passengers.

--Bangkok Post 2008-04-08

[george]

Update: Knife scare causes emergency landing

BANGKOK: -- Airports of Thailand President AM Chana U-Sathaporn dismissed earlier reports that the emergency landing of the Bangladeshi passenger plane was a hijack.

AM Chana said the landing was made after a 25-year-old Bangladeshi man took out a knife, although he did not hurt any passengers.

"There were 60 passengers on the flight. It landed after an unruly passenger named Hasan Ali took out a small knife," he said.

AM Chana added that the pilot requested the emergency landing to prevent possible attacks. The emergency landing was made at Don Mueang Airport 9.30am Tuesday.

The man was then detained by the Thai police, who inspected his belongings and found no suspicious objects.

Airport authorities did not file any charges against him because he did not hurt any passengers.]

-- Bangkok Post 2008-04-08

[Digitalbanana]

Airport authorities did not file any charges against him because he did not hurt any passengers.

Ah so its all right then to brandish knives and force unscheduled landings then? Is this for real or just some numb nuts reporter in the Post that is plainly wrong.

[gpdjohn]

Airport authorities did not file any charges against him because he did not hurt any passengers.

Ah so its all right then to brandish knives and force unscheduled landings then? Is this for real or just some numb nuts reporter in the Post that is plainly wrong.

It should start with "Interfering with a flight crew".

I hope the report is false, I really do...for the sake of all of us...

[gpdjohn]

The Bangkok Post has reported that he indeed was not charged with any crime, but has been deported out of Thailand....

ON ANOTHER FLIGHT!!!

After all...no passengersor crew were injured.

Amazing.

[sbk]

Thailand deports unruly passenger to Bangladeshi authorities

BANGKOK, April 8 (TNA) - A knife-wielding Bangladeshi passenger was deported to Dhaka Tuesday afternoon after frightening other passengers while an aircraft was aloft, forced the pilot of a Bangladeshi airliner to make an emergency landing in Bangkok early Tuesday, Airports of Thailand (AOT) president Chana U-sathaporn said.

The incident took place as the Dhaka-bound GMG Airlines flight BG042 was carrying about 67 passengers from Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur to the Bangladeshi capital.

The passenger, identified as Haran Rashid Hassan Ali, 25, was found to have a psychiatric disorder, according National Police Bureau spokesman Lt-Gen. Watcharapol Prasanrachakij.

He was deported to his home country to undergo further investigations by his country's authorities, as no chargeable offence was found to have occurred in Thai airspace territorial jurisdiction, said Gen. Watcharapol.

It was not known how he eluded Malaysian airport security in Kuala Lumpur to carry a fruit knife on board.

The GMG Airlines flight was grounded for a few hours before departing for Dhaka in the afternoon. (TNA)-E007

Source: MCOT news

[Tammi]

I flew them once years ago and a fight broke out. Captain, who was knee high to a grasshopper came to have a look, went back to the cockpit, waggled the wings, and told the passengers if they didn't sit down the plane would crash. Everybody sat down and stayed down. Police were waiting at Dacca.

[IAmMarchHare]

"A fight broke out on the plane. A man believed to have a mental problem was carrying a fruit knife. Authorities have no idea how he got it on the plane," Chaisak said.

So, a fruitcake was wielding a fruit knife?

[jayjayjayjay]

"A fight broke out on the plane. A man believed to have a mental problem was carrying a fruit knife. Authorities have no idea how he got it on the plane," Chaisak said.

So, a fruitcake was wielding a fruit knife?

Who cares about security when Thai Airways provide STEEL knives for you meal, even in the economy section. All you need is a decent masons stone, 10 to 12 minutes in the toilet and that little mother of a knife would be a killing tool with a 4 inch blade!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This fellas fruit knife would look like a tooth pick in comparison. I can't believe how stupid this is.

[wpcoe]

I'm curious: Why would the flight be diverted to Don Muang, basically a domestic airport, versus the better manned and equipped Suvarnhabhumi? I say better manned in that the availability of CIQ personnel to handle the passengers, should it be necessary to offload them to remain in Thailand, and better equipped in that the security screening equipment is better (CTX scanners, etc) should the flight need to be re-screened before departure.

[john b good]

I'm curious: Why would the flight be diverted to Don Muang, basically a domestic airport, versus the better manned and equipped Suvarnhabhumi? I say better manned in that the availability of CIQ personnel to handle the passengers, should it be necessary to offload them to remain in Thailand, and better equipped in that the security screening equipment is better (CTX scanners, etc) should the flight need to be re-screened before departure.

No reason at all that Don Muang not be used. If it's got scanners it's got scanners.

The object of the exercise was to get the plane on the ground. This was achieved.

Choice of airport "no big deal"

[SeaVisionBurma]

I'm curious: Why would the flight be diverted to Don Muang, basically a domestic airport, versus the better manned and equipped Suvarnhabhumi? I say better manned in that the availability of CIQ personnel to handle the passengers, should it be necessary to offload them to remain in Thailand, and better equipped in that the security screening equipment is better (CTX scanners, etc) should the flight need to be re-screened before departure.

No reason at all that Don Muang not be used. If it's got scanners it's got scanners.

The object of the exercise was to get the plane on the ground. This was achieved.

Choice of airport "no big deal"

Actually, I would have thought Don Muang was the better choice of airport to land the aircraft for the opposite of wpcoe's reasoning- both airport's are security equipped and are able to handle customs and immigration for international flights - no question there.

But if I were asked by a pilot for an unplanned landing because of some problem with a passenger on board - I would choose DM because it not handling the sheer volume of aircraft and pax that Suvarnabhumi is. In a situation which could potentially have turned out worse (actual hijacking, deliberate crashing or blowing up of the aircraft etc) - there could be far more collateral damage and potential loss of life if the aircraft was directed to Suvarnabhumi instead.

Given the flight originated in KL and was heading for Dhaka - to divert to for an unscheduled landing would make very little difference in distance between BKK & DMK...

I think the choice of airport was potentially a 'big deal' in this case - at the time of the incidence, Thai air traffic controllers would not have known that the situation was not going to turn in to something worse - and I would imagine there was some logic in directing the flight to Don Muang over Suvarnabhumi to avoid the larger numbers of people and aircraft there....

[NamKAheng]

Most fake bombs missed by screeners

By Thomas Frank, USA TODAY

WASHINGTON — Security screeners at two of the nation's busiest airports failed to find fake bombs hidden on undercover agents posing as passengers in more than 60% of tests last year, according to a classified report obtained by USA TODAY.

Screeners at Los Angeles International Airport missed about 75% of simulated explosives and bomb parts that Transportation Security Administration testers hid under their clothes or in carry-on bags at checkpoints, the TSA report shows.

At Chicago O'Hare International Airport, screeners missed about 60% of hidden bomb materials that were packed in everyday carry-ons — including toiletry kits, briefcases and CD players. San Francisco International Airport screeners, who work for a private company instead of the TSA, missed about 20% of the bombs, the report shows. The TSA ran about 70 tests at Los Angeles, 75 at Chicago and 145 at San Francisco.

The report looks only at those three airports, using them as case studies to understand how well the rest of the U.S. screening system is working to stop terrorists from carrying bombs through checkpoints.

More here: http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-1...-security_N.htm

[Heng]

Under the MoU, Biman will buy four Boeing-777-300 ER series and four Being 787-8 models from the American company.

That's a real shame that they are going to retire those DC-10-30's. The "low budget, just out of college, 2 stops before we get to London, wow, this plane is from the 70's" airline. Can't help but think of them when I sink back into a biz class or better seat nowadays.

[RCranbrook]

and where was the plane originally coming from??? as how the hel_l did the Guy get a Knife onto the plane?!?

Fight originated in KL

No mention of a weapon in this report http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/04/08/...ncy-Landing.php

This Indian site reckons the aircraft was actually hijacked http://www.topnews.in/hijacker-take-biman-...-bangkok-231827

I'm not about to try, but I reckon I could get a thin-blade onto a flight at Swampy. I tend to wear my site boots because they're comfy (and heavy if I put them in checked baggage), they have steel toecaps and steel sole plates but they never cause any issues with either the gate type detector or the guy with the wand, it would be sooo easy......

[ArtVandelay]

I flew Biman from Bangkok to Nepal last december and as the plane was making an approach for the airport in Bangladesh one guy stood up to get his luggage out of the overhead compartment, then everyone got up to do the same thing (except me and another farang couple in front, who were just as astonished as I was). The asiles were full of people and we were still a mile off the ground. The flight attendant started yelling in Bangladesh for everyone to sit down. They did, and we landed.

[phetpeter]

I think every one of their flights is performed as an emergency landing, 'cause it uses a lot of fuel to come in slow, and use a lot of rubber off the wheels, if we have to use a lot of runway!

[geriatrickid]

The toilets must be a charm to use 1 hr. into the flight.

[toptuan]

Who cares about security when Thai Airways provide STEEL knives for you meal, even in the economy section. All you need is a decent masons stone, 10 to 12 minutes in the toilet and that little mother of a knife would be a killing tool with a 4 inch blade!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh, thanks for providing an M.O. for all the crazies out there!

No more Thai Airways flights for me!

[astral]

Most airlines that I use have gone back to using metal knives.

Even a plastic one can make a leathal weapon.

[Payboy]

Most airlines that I use have gone back to using metal knives.

Even a plastic one can make a leathal weapon.

and also the frame of your sunglasses

[TAWP]

Or a pair of really big hands...