Philadelphia: Mysterious man sparks plane evacuation

Keit

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_http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/mysterious-man-sparks-plane-evacuation/story-e6frf7jx-1225935762884

A MYSTERIOUS, unidentified gate agent loaded passengers onto a US Airways jet in Philadelphia today, causing the plane to be evacuated.

Authorities were bewildered as to how the man began working side-by-side with two real gate agents to board the Bermuda-bound airplane, FBI spokesperson JJ Claver said.

The man, who was dressed in a US Airways crew uniform, disappeared before the Airbus A319 left the gate for a scheduled 10:15am ET (1am AEST) departure.

All 102 passengers and five crew members were deplaned, and the plane was quarantined in a remote area, airport spokeswoman Victoria Lupica said. Passengers were rerouted on different flights to Bermuda.

No hazardous or explosive material was found after a sweep of the aircraft by police officers and agents from the Transportation Security Administration.

US Airways spokesperson Todd Lehmacher described the incident as a "possible security concern" and said the airline was cooperating with authorities. He declined to comment on the specifics of the investigation beyond confirming the aircraft was evacuated.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) declined to comment.
 
_http://mystateline.com/fulltext-news/?nxd_id=201695

Search Continues For Man Who May Have Breached Airport Security

(Philadelphia, PA) -- More details are emerging about the mystery man who may have breached airport security in Philadelphia this morning and tried to load luggage onto a plane.

CNN is reporting two baggage handlers loading US Airways Flight 1070 to Bermuda didn't recognize a third man who pitched in to help.

The man wore a US Airways uniform but lacked an ID badge.

When confronted by the two workers, the suspect ran off.

Philadelphia police are still searching for him.

A law enforcement source told CNN, quote, "This could be a suspicious person or it could be nothing." The plane remains grounded.
 
Keit said:
A law enforcement source told CNN, quote, "This could be a suspicious person or it could be nothing." The plane remains grounded.

Could be nothing?? Really? With all the airport's security working together, they could not locate a man in a secure area of a building with cameras and police everywhere and only one entrance/exit.

How bizarre! Sounds like a test of some sort.
(edit: format)
 
Also, it is interesting to note that the first story is completely different from the second. Was the guy outside working in baggage, or inside loading passengers onto the plane? Most of the current stories seem to indicate the latter, but it seems quite the strange detail to get wrong...
 
Keit said:
_http://mystateline.com/fulltext-news/?nxd_id=201695

Search Continues For Man Who May Have Breached Airport Security

The man wore a US Airways uniform but lacked an ID badge.

It gets more interesting:

From _http://edition.cnn.com/2010/US/10/07/philadelphia.airport.security/
(CNN) -- Authorities evacuated a Bermuda-bound flight at Philadelphia International Airport in Pennsylvania Thursday after one of three people loading the plane didn't appear to belong and suddenly left the area, police said.

It appeared that the man in question was properly credentialed to be in a secure area, but was working on a plane that he wasn't supposed to, FBI spokesman J.J. Klaver said. When he was questioned by the other baggage handlers, the person left in a baggage loading cart, he said.

US Airways Flight 1070 -- which police said was bound for Bermuda with 102 passengers and five crew members -- was towed to a secure part of the airport, where baggage was removed from the plane to be screened by bomb-sniffing dogs.

The plane tested negative for explosives, and the incident is not believed to be terror-related, said Klaver. The investigation was ongoing, he added.

In addition, no narcotics were found on board the plane, said Stephen Sapp of Customs and Border Protection.

"There's nothing explosive, nothing hazardous," Klaver said.

He also said that there was no apparent failure in airport security processes.

Flight 1070 finally departed for Bermuda nearly six hours late.

Federal and local police at the airport had been searching for a man in uniform who was not wearing identification on the tarmac, a law enforcement official told CNN.

"This could be a suspicious person or it could be nothing," the official said.

The rest of the airport was fully operational and not affected by the incident, said spokeswoman Victoria Lupica.

The passengers remained in the terminal, said Todd Lehmacher, spokesman for US Airways. The airline hoped to get them back on the plane and headed for Bermuda once authorities allow it, he said.
 
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