When I returned home after my minor surgery today, the story of the transatlantic flight dominated the news. I could not blog on it at the time due to the condition of my hand, and I recalled thinking that might not be a bad thing. I suspected that the news reports would turn out to be overblown, and I was right:

Two fighter jets were scrambled Wednesday to escort a London-to-Washington flight to an emergency landing in Boston after a disturbance in which passengers said a woman in a jogging suit paced up and down the aisle, peppering her incoherent mutterings with the word "Pakistan."

The federal official for Boston's Logan International Airport said there was no indication of terrorism, but passengers said they were unnerved by the woman and by the military response, just a week after authorities in London said they foiled a terror plot to blow up flights to the U.S. ...

Nash said he noticed the woman's oversized handbag appeared to contain items such as lotion that he believed should not have been allowed on the plane since the new safety regulations were put in place after last week's terror plot revelations.

Romney said a search of the woman's bag turned up matches and a gelatin-like substance, which he did not define, but there was no indication the items were related to terrorism. Naccara said he did not believe any items she was carrying were the cause of the emergency.

An airport spokesman, Phil Orlandella, previously confirmed broadcast reports that the woman was carrying Vaseline, a screw driver and a note referring to al-Qaeda, but later backed off the statement. Naccara said it was not true.

It's difficult to blame the news media for its reporting. Orlandella may have received bad information from someone else, but ultimately he has responsibility for ensuring that he keeps the public properly informed. The al-Qaeda note story, following the events of last week in Britain where this flight originated, introduced an unnecessary sensational aspect to the event and probably set off scores of conspiracy theories to boot.

The flight crew performed magnificently, however. They took all the right steps to ensure the safety of the passengers as well as those on the ground. Fortunately, it all sprang from the actions of a panicky passenger and not something more ominous.

We need to see more care taken by authorities in releasing information early in an incident. Enough rumors fly on their own without those in charge adding to the problem.

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» London/Washington Flight 923 Diverted to Boston from Morning Coffee
At the end of the day, If all we have to criticize in all this is the erronious report we should be thankfull… The Flight crew, the Military escorts, and emergency responders all performed with calm and professionalism. ... [Read More]

Tracked on August 16, 2006 10:32 PM