Delta Airlines Passengers questioned in Portland

[Bucky]

PORTLAND -- A flight to Portland that originated in Tokyo had suspicious, but non-explosive items on board, according to the FBI.

The crew of Delta Flight 90 "opted to contact authorities and request they meet the aircraft upon arrival as a result of some box cutter blades found onboard while the aircraft was enroute," according to Delta's Susan Elliott.
"All passengers were deplaned without incident and we are cooperating with the authorities in their assessment," Elliott added.

The 154 passengers and ten crew members were interviewed Tuesday morning at Portland International Airport, said FBI spokeswoman Beth Anne Steele.

Flight 90 originates in Seoul, according to the airline web site. It arrived at 8 a.m. The plane was also being searched, Steele said.

The incident was also being investigated by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Transportation Security Administration, the Port of Portland and Delta Airlines.

source

[Bucky]

Here's a far better article

The FBI opened a criminal investigation today into the alarming discovery of box-cutter blades aboard a Portland-bound airliner.

The crew of Delta Airlines Flight 90 alerted authorities they had found the blades in the cabin of the Boeing 767.

"Out of an abundance of caution, the crew of Flight No. 90 opted to contact authorities and request they meet the aircraft upon arrival as a result of some box cutter blades found on board while the aircraft was en route from Tokyo-Narita International Airport to Portland," Delta spokeswoman Susan Chana Elliott said in a statement.

FBI investigators declined to comment on what was found on the aircraft other than to say it was suspicious and prohibited by the TSA, but that it wasn't explosive.

Airlines across the globe have been on heightened alert since Friday, when bombs containing the explosive PETN were discovered in cargo planes bound from Yemen to the United States. Intelligence officials suspect that the bombs, hidden in printer cartridges, were the work of terrorists affiliated with al-Qaida.

The Delta flight had traveled from Seoul, hopped into Tokyo and was scheduled to arrive at 8:30 a.m. in Portland with 154 passengers and 10 crew members aboard.

Investigators kept passengers on the plane as they searched the aircraft, airport officials said.

Federal agents interviewed all of the passengers, sent them through customs and released them, said Beth Anne Steele, an FBI spokeswoman in Portland.

An inspector with the Narita airport police department said his agency had heard about the incident, but hadn't launched an investigation.

It was unclear precisely how Delta would make up the inconvenience to the passengers.

"We will always follow up with an apology for the delay and some gesture of gratitude for their patience," said Delta spokesman Kent Landers in Atlanta.

The incident disrupted no other operations at PDX, said Steve Johnson, a spokesman for the Port of Portland, which runs the airport.

[Coligny]

Can't we stop with the fearmongering bullshit ?

Item prohibited by the TSA don't mean the plane was 1 minute away from nukular disaster. It more certainly mean someone boarded with her bottle of shampoo in her carry-on luggage.

Reporting as a big event a violation of the TSA totally insane policy is totally ridiculous.

If a plane get hijacked -> dat's a big deal.
If someone get caught fucking with the TSA while absolutely nothing endanger the REAL safety of the flight and the passengers... give the guy a medal and a TV show... i'll certainly vote for him at the next presidential election... If that blond pr0nstar choose not to seek the place...

[Samurai_Jerk]

They probably fell out of the tool box of a maintenance worker in Seoul. To call it an "alarming discovery" is fucking ridiculous.

[Greji]

Can't we stop with the fearmongering bullshit ?

It's the fucking media. Security is just doing their job. It is the media that with a nothing incident like this, informs the world that we just barely escaped Armageddon, film at 11.

They have been taking the same route on the weather. Every since the Tsunami in SEA and Katrina in the US, everytime there's a thunder shower, we get "massive storm hits Upper Overshoe Michigan, millions in damages, thousands homeless." on the tube and in the papers for the next week. Anything for ratings, or help in selling copy.

[Screwed-down Hairdo]

Impossible! The media is totally responsible, reliable and would consider the idea of exaggerating about any story absolutely unthinkable...

[canman]

Sorry to take this in a different direction, and I am sure most if not all of you know that Delta sucks, but I just wanted to tell you that Delta sucks!
I booked a ticket home using up my miles, and of course the ticket is rather round about. I fly Narita-LA-Detroit-Ottawa. Anyway to make a long story short, when I booked the flight, I didn't think much about the connection time, but then a friend told me that an hour 20 minutes is not enough time to get through immigration, customs and recheck my bag. So I called Delta and asked them to put me on a later flight. The Delta rep told me for $300 they would, otherwise just go, if I miss my flight they would put me on the later flight free of charge.
This am, I get a promotional email from Delta promoting their economy plus service, so I click on it to see how much more for more leg room, and it takes me to my itinerary. As I read it, the arrival flight from Narita and the connecting flight to Detroit are highlighted and under there is the line, you may miss this connecting flight due to time constraints.
So I call Delta again, and even though their web site says the time is basically too short to make the connection, they can't do anything for me. Now the later flight, mine departs at 11:15, the 1:00PM flight is now completely booked. I asked the rep what to do and she said you should fly as usual and hope that everything is on time. What a stupid response. I wonder should I call again and ask to speak with a manager.

[matsuki]

fly as usual and hope that everything is on time

They base their business on this model, of that I can guarantee!

[Mock Cockpit]

I'd check the terms of carriage very carefully. There's a legal minimum transfer time and theoretically they shouldn't book an itinerary that falls outside (well inside really) this time. If, according to Delta you're OK with the times, they should, again in theory, book you on a later flight if you're flight from Narita is delayed or, if that flight is full, book you on another carrier free of charge.

[Samurai_Jerk]

Sorry to take this in a different direction, and I am sure most if not all of you know that Delta sucks, but I just wanted to tell you that Delta sucks!
I booked a ticket home using up my miles, and of course the ticket is rather round about. I fly Narita-LA-Detroit-Ottawa. Anyway to make a long story short, when I booked the flight, I didn't think much about the connection time, but then a friend told me that an hour 20 minutes is not enough time to get through immigration, customs and recheck my bag. So I called Delta and asked them to put me on a later flight. The Delta rep told me for $300 they would, otherwise just go, if I miss my flight they would put me on the later flight free of charge.
This am, I get a promotional email from Delta promoting their economy plus service, so I click on it to see how much more for more leg room, and it takes me to my itinerary. As I read it, the arrival flight from Narita and the connecting flight to Detroit are highlighted and under there is the line, you may miss this connecting flight due to time constraints.
So I call Delta again, and even though their web site says the time is basically too short to make the connection, they can't do anything for me. Now the later flight, mine departs at 11:15, the 1:00PM flight is now completely booked. I asked the rep what to do and she said you should fly as usual and hope that everything is on time. What a stupid response. I wonder should I call again and ask to speak with a manager.

I fucking hate Delta too but is there a US carrier that doesn't suck shit through a straw?

[canman]

That's the thing that is so confusing! The website says I may miss my flight but when I talked to the Delta rep, she told me it was within their acceptable limits! I think I am screwed what ever happens!

[Taro Toporific]

...but when I talked to the Delta rep, she told me it was within their acceptable limits! I think I am screwed what ever happens!

I have successfully flown MANY flights to North America on Delta, United, etc., with "too tight" connections. Even in the 2-in-20-times I actually missed a flight, Delta just reopened the jetway door or sent me on the next flight on business class.
Stressful? You bet.
Screwed? Not hardly.

[canman]

Well Taro, you are the voice of reason, and I genuflect to you. Here is hoping everything works out.

[Taro Toporific]

Well Taro, you are the voice of reason, and I genuflect to you. Here is hoping everything works out.

Sadly Y.M.M.V.

(Have to admit, I excel at "social engineering" and playing the poor pathetic cripple-boy card with the airlines. )

[Samurai_Jerk]

Sadly Y.M.M.V.

(Have to admit, I excel at "social engineering" and playing the poor pathetic cripple-boy card with the airlines. )

I was going to say ...

[Greji]

I was going to say ...

I was going to say that as well. Now, when Canman gets told he has to ride in cargo, or there will be no more flights for him for a week, I want to be around when he comes looking for Taro with a ballbat....

[matsuki]

ANA destroyed my coworker's luggage, just about lost mine, and delayed us for hours back in 2008...and try as I might, they would not budge an inch to help us out in any way. For the most part, getting drunk on ANA's all you can drink INT'L flights is all good but when shit goes wrong, they aren't very willing to try to appease anyone.

[IparryU]

I flew UA from SFO to LAX... it was the only flight that has ever took off on time in my flight history. not to mention it was the only time I ever flew on a non-jap airline...

it was hosted by two gay guys that were really big and grumpy... but everything was done on time and the Japanese couple who were on were complaining about how they weren't "polite" on the announcements or when telling people to buckle their seat belts prior to departure...