Possible plane attack thwarted

By REBECCA CATALANELLO, Times Staff Writer
Published July 7, 2006

TAMPA — Passengers physically restrained a man on a flight from New York City who stormed toward the cockpit of a Delta flight as it was about to land at Tampa International Airport shortly after 11 p.m. Thursday.


New York resident Jason Moore, 27, visiting family in St. Petersburg, said he was sitting two rows from the rear of the plane when a man took a seat at the very back of the aircraft 15 or 20 minutes before it was scheduled to land.

“I didn’t hear him say a word. He just kind of seemed like he was nervous, he was anxious,’’ Moore said.

He described the man as Hispanic, 25 to 30 years old, wearing a New York Yankees baseball hat.

About five minutes before the plane was scheduled to touch down, the man stood up, Moore said, and ran “like he was running in a track meet’’ down the aisle toward the cockpit.<
http://www.sptimes.com/2006/07/07/Tampabay/Possible_plane_attack.shtml

on a daily basis, you're going to find a few wackos every now and then.

It's a pretty good paper. Don't usually see a lot of sensationalism from them.

But, as liberal N proud said, we're probably going to see more of this leading up to Nov. (like there's not enough else going on in the world to worry about)

Because mentally ill people are sooo disabled and yet they are able to book expensive flights for themselves.

Whatever happened to "air rage". Seems to me that wasn't framed as an issue of mental illness, but one of arrogance and entitlement.

The article was the Times top story online this morning, so thought I'd share it just in case something comes of it. The good news is, nobody was hurt.

AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

was that there was no one there who could speak Spanish to translate for the guy. And how funny he was pointing at his 'foreign' tatoos... Rove really didn't plot this one realistically, did he? Falling down on the job. Must be stress. Reads like a B-movie plot. He must be tired or has a new assistant without his flair for terra.

Or, ok, it could have been a thwarted hi-jacking that would have been HUGH if not thwarted as well as it was!!!111!!! No. Series!11!

;)

They probably shouldn't fly.

I doubt if there was much of a possibility that he could have easily gotten into the cockpit. They keep them locked up pretty good these days.

Junior will probably try to somehow take credit for thwarting this one.

Anyway, hooray for the brave passengers!

Who offer a "mental illness" or "off his meds" explanation, which by the way, doesn't square with the science or medicine of "mental illness".

Like I said, people who have never seen a psychiatrist in their life behave aggressively on planes, run people off the road, commit hit and run incidents on major thoroughfares, etc.

Why are TWO people on this thread so quick to ascertain that it was "mental illness". Are they psychiatrists by any chance?

Please explain to me how "mental illness" (which one, by the way?) might cause someone to act this way.

with visual and/or auditory hallucinations is the first illness that comes to mind that could cause it.

>He said the man spoke Spanish, and when he was sitting at the back of the plane, he behaved oddly, tapping people on the shoulder and pointing to some oriental tattoos on his arms. Flight attendants brought someone who had been seated with him at the front to speak with him at one point, Moore said.

The last time he saw him, he was seated in wheelchair in handcuffs, he said.


“He just looked like he didn’t know what was going on.’’ <

soup <--- not a psychiatrist, but leaning towards going along with a mental condition of some sort

...is an example of a disease that can yield that kind of behavior. So that makes number two by ways of examples. I have an adopted daughter with this disease, and when left unmedicated she has exploded when in social situations where she felt she lost control. These explosions resulted in destructive violence and long hospitalizations. Over the years even when medicated she has exploded, been carted away by police hogtied, and hospitalized.

These explosions have resulted in injured people, dead pets, maimed pets, and thousands of dollars of destroyed property. But she is among the lucky ones in that she has gotten millions of dollars of excellent care over the years. Right now the disease is contained, but we know that will not last. Many bipolar disordered people go untreated.

Bipolar disorder is inordinately represented in our jailed population. Some estimates put it as high as 40%. While my guess is that is high, its clear the jailed population contains several mutiples of bipolar disordered compared to the rate found in the general population.

xenu, anyone with any working familiarity with the major mental illnesses and personaility disorders knows that these can be a root cause of the behavior reported. Doesn't mean it was, just that it's possible. The critique levied is against the MSM that jumps to the conclusion that it might be terrorism, when it's more probably just mental illness, a man overwhelmed by anxiety and compelled to act out.

I find it tragically amusing that Bush hits the road on a public speaking campaign to try and convince a few of the two-thirds who can't stand him that he's not such a bad guy, and we get several reports in the MSM of possible terror plots and thwarted attempts. Now that's something to be suspicious about. I thought the Bush Regime agreed you don't introduce a new product in the summer? What's the rush?

Something that I didn't realize until some time this year is, bipolar disorders used to be called manic depression. My band used to play this one way back when:

Manic depression is touching my soul
I know what I want but I just dont know
How to, go about gettin it
Feeling sweet feeling,
Drops from my fingers, fingers
Manic depression is catchin my soul

http://www.lyricsfreak.com/j/jimi+hendrix/manic+depression_20071683.html

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10367598/

Passengers recall tense moments before gunfire
Officials say air marshals acted appropriately when they shot man to death

MIAMI - The passenger shot to death by air marshals in Miami had been agitated before boarding the plane and was singing “Go Down Moses” as his wife tried to calm him, a fellow passenger said Thursday.

“The wife was telling him, ‘Calm down. Let other people get on the plane. It will be all right,”’ said Alan Tirpak.

“I thought, ‘Maybe he’s afraid of flying,’” Tirpak said.

...

She was yelling “That’s my husband, that’s my husband — I need to get to my husband!” Mary Gardner said. “She said, ‘My husband is bipolar. He didn’t take his medicine.”’

Mike Beshears heard her say, “’My husband is sick. I’ve got to get my bags.”’ Then the shots rang out, and a flight attendant stopped her and guided her to a seat, he said.

“She was very apologetic,” Beshears said of Alpizar’s wife. “She was explaining to us as we sat there in the row. She felt it was her fault, that she had convinced him to get on board, that he wasn’t ready.”

It is one of the most tragic stories I have ever heard.

:puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke:

Until late October.
America: 9/11; terror; "See you are safer" bull shit all the way to November.

Last week they arrested those poor bastards in Miami with no money, no weapons or any means to defend themselves and painted them as terrorist. Even made up plots for them.

These stories are the sound bytes that will be on Front pages and on the boob tube, the people will think, Oh the republicans are keeping us so much safer now.

'possible' being the key word here, hey? 'Man runs through plane for no apparent reason' doesn't hit that terra! nerve.

edit to add 'for no apparent reason'

It's darn evident that the republicans are stirring up
all sorts of fear stories. BOO. The stories themselves
are half-baked...and the republican greasy hoofprints
are all over. I hope many good reporters are thoroughly
invetsigating the validatity and sources of these
fishy terra alerts. There's just enough hamfisted hubris
among the republicans to make a great expose.

I wish I had better faith in the media, but they are in this with the regime for the most part.

acetylene torch. Unless he had that crap no way he was getting in the cockpit - end o' terror yarn.

:-)

Maybe he was suicidal, and counting on a marshall to put him out of his misery. What do they call it? Suicide by cop?

here is that it has not been spun into a possible immigration issue, yet.

Read the headline and you imagine a terror plot uncovered like the one down in Florida when the reality is this was probably a crazy man.

The man went to the back of the plan and took an open seat while acting nervous.
What is usually at the rear and at the front of the plane?

TOILETS

Maybe the man was nervous because he had to use the toilet and they were occupied? Maybe he took off for the front of the plane to get to the toilet at the front of the plane?

But then I guess that doesn't make a dramatic headline for the fear mongers.

when ya gotta go, ya gotta go. Both facilities occupied, he may have made a mad dash for the one that emptied first. Be interesting to see what he says about what happened. As far as I can tell, he's the one who would know, eh?

<snip>

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/nation/4030982.html

That puts things in a whole new light, doesn't it?

Fine way to treat our troop who are safeguarding our freedom.

I keep hearing about.

Jay

The quirky little 'why is this front page?' story posted this morning now becomes something entirely different.

Both Tampa and St Petersburg have V.A. hospitals, hopefully he can get some help there. Guess it depends on the waiting list...

So sick of this. I wish him and his family the best.

A little off from the St. Pete Times report, they said three guys in First Class stopped him.

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Passenger-Restrained.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

uly 7, 2006
Soldier Held After Ramming Cockpit Door
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Filed at 11:34 a.m. ET

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- A U.S. Army soldier who had served in Iraq was tackled by airplane passengers after he ran down the aisle and rammed the cockpit door on a flight from New York to Tampa, an official said.

The soldier did not have any weapons and there was no evidence that he meant harm anyone on the flight Thursday night, Tampa International Airport spokeswoman Brenda Geoghagan said.

She said he was restrained until the flight landed, then taken into custody under a Florida law that allows a person to be held without charges if they are deemed to be a threat to themselves or others.

The soldier's brother told officials that he ''has some mental problems related to his Army service,'' Geoghagan said. The brothers were traveling from New York to visit their mother in Tampa.

...more at link...

edited to add

http://www.stpetetimes.com/2006/07/07/Tampabay/Possible_plane_attack.shtml

Moore said the man ran “like he was running in a track meet’’ down the aisle toward the cockpit.

Passengers in the first class section heard the commotion, and two to three large men in that section tackled and restrained La-Mendez, Moore said.

“It was really inspiring to see that,’’ he said of their reaction, recalling 9-11. You could hear him running down the aisle quickly, and they got up and intervened, he said.

..more at link...

PB

The part of the show when Colbert runs over to meet his guest.

future. These chickens WILL come home to roost...

not only 20,000 seriously damaged bodies, but thousands of damaged minds.

It's the only way for us to be truly safe.

:sarcasm:

How long will this affect these young people? How far out will the ripples spread as the people returning have problems that affect others? This is so sad.

It can go dormant but it's something you'll always have to endure.

if deemed a threat. Wasn't there something in the US constitution about Speedy trial and being able to confront accusers and right to attorney, etc. etc.Constitution??? oh it is just that "piece of paper"

Has been in place since I was a teenager in the 70's. Example:Someone having a psychotic episode and needs to be commited for their own or other's protection. Nothing new.

to hold you. they've got plenty of laws. pick one. as long as it's close enough, it'll apply. try it. be annoying enough to a police officer, and he'll arrest you for soemthing. hhehehe

:eyes:

The Pentagon knows they have ruined the lives of the people they have sent over there, turning decent young people in to violent sociopaths. They are reluctant to bring them back knowing they might be prone to wreak havoc on mainstream society.



Way to go BFEE.

:sarcasm:

(Sounds like PTSD to me, this is only the beginning of this type of problem)

Soldier subdued on Florida flight

Fri Jul 7, 2006 01:17 PM ET

TAMPA, Florida (Reuters) - A U.S. soldier recently returned from Iraq tried to force his way into the cockpit of a Tampa-bound Delta Air Lines jet and was subdued by other passengers, a Tampa International Airport spokeswoman said on Friday.

The 24-year-old man was undergoing mental evaluation at a Tampa hospital, and the FBI was investigating whether charges should be filed, airport spokeswoman Brenda Geoghagan said.

The man, Neftali Alexander Laimendez, was flying with his brother to see their mother in Tampa and seek medical attention, Geoghagan said.

As the flight from New York's LaGuardia Airport approached Tampa on Thursday night, he ignored flight attendants' instructions to sit down and fasten his seat belt, and ran up the aisle of the plane and into the first class cabin, Geoghagan said.

"As he is running, he is ramming the cockpit door, falling on the aisle, getting up and repeatedly doing this," she said. "Three or four of the passengers restrained him and held him on the floor."

(more at link) <http://go.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=domesticNews&storyID=12775768&src=rss/domesticNews>

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - A U.S. Army soldier who had served in Iraq was tackled by airplane passengers after he ran down the aisle and rammed the cockpit door on a flight from New York to Tampa, an official said.

The soldier did not have any weapons and there was no evidence that he meant harm anyone on the flight Thursday night, Tampa International Airport spokeswoman Brenda Geoghagan said.

more...

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/nat-gen/2006/jul/07/070706785.html

He's lucky they didn't kill him like that manic depressive man back in December.

We will continue to see more and more of these cases, together with a higher proportion of returning vets becoming homeless, as Bush's war continues on its merry way until at least January 20, 2009.

Wasn't sure whether to post this separately, or keep it together for continuity and follow-up for anyone wondering, "Whatever happened to ?". The initial post was an odd bit of 'terra' news that changed dramatically as more info was discovered and added and the story morphed and grew.

I'm so glad nobody was injured, wish his family the best and hope he can receive the help he needs.

--

Jul 15, 3:08 PM EDT

Soldier accused of ramming cockpit door arrested, charged

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- A U.S. Army soldier who was tackled and restrained by passengers after ramming the cockpit door on a flight from New York City to Tampa has been charged with interfering with a flight crew, officials said.

Neftali A. Lai, 24, a U.S. Army specialist who is also known as Neftali Laimendez, was arrested Thursday, according to court documents. He was later released on $25,000 bail. Relatives had previously said the man had mental problems.

As a condition of his release Lai cannot travel on public transportation, must surrender his passport and wear an electronic monitoring device. He will live with his mother and continue to recieve mental health treatment.

Lai had served in Iraq and was using up remaining leave time before getting out of the service when the incident occurred July 6, an Army spokesman said. He was traveling from New York with his brother to visit their mother on the Delta flight. He was restrained on the floor for approximately 5 to 10 minutes until the flight landed at Tampa International Airport.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/F/FL_PASSENGER_RESTRAINED_FLOL-?SITE=FLPET&SECTION=STATE&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT