AirTran Flight 297 Confirmed? Muslim Men Disrupt AirTran Flight? Updated

On November 17th, an AirTran flight from Atlanta to Houston began to taxi the runway and then abruptly returned to the flight deck. Reports indicated that at least one man did not follow the flight attendants instructions to turn-off his cell phone, and that was attributed to the fact that he did not speak English. Update: Another thought is former CIA, Michael Schueur's warning that an event, just like this one, may be used to "clog" the intelligence pipeline. See links to that discussion below.

As you might expect, the report did not mention what language the man spoke, but did say he had an interpreter. The story continued that the man deplaned along with his interpreter, and then the remaining 11 men that appeared to be a part of his group. Luggage was taken off of the flight and checked. The man who did not follow instructions from the flight attendant was not allowed back on the plane, and his interpreter did not board again either.

The other eleven men did get on the airplane according to reports. The original flight crew refused to continue on to Houston, so another crew replaced them. The flight made it to Houston safely.

CanadaFreePress today says they have investigated and verified the story and they have many more details that the writer, Doug Hagman is vouching for. The short story of the first incident, before the flight returned to the gate, is that the men were Muslim. They all knew each other and all have some connection to an Islamic center that, according to authorities, is under investigation.

It is not known if the man used a cell phone was for making calls or viewing photos. Confrontations were loud and not friendly. The Muslim men were were scattered throughout the airplane.

After arriving back at the gate, and after two men were not allowed to reboard, but 11 were, the flight continued on to Houston,12-15 passengers refused to fly them and deplaned.According to Hagman, the flight "was not without its curious incidents by the very same Muslim men who caused the initial delay and disturbance:"

During the flight, one passenger interviewed by this investigator described the behavior of two of the Muslim passengers as less overt but still suspicious in nature. Without apparent legitimate purpose, one Muslim passenger moved a stowed bag from one part of the aircraft to another, well away from his seated position. Another spoke loudly in Arabic, with all appearing to interact in one form or another.

Having interviewed a total of seven-(7) individuals directly involved in this incident over the last several days, including two law enforcement officers who handled the after action reports, the situation pertaining to the initial 13 and remaining 10 or 11 Muslim men allowed to continue their travels was far greater than an incident involving the unauthorized use of a cell phone that resulted in a minor flight delay, as reported by the mainstream media. According to one airline security official, “This was a deliberate, well planned attempt to disrupt a domestic flight that was organized in advance of the boarding of these [Muslim] passengers. The purpose of their actions appeared to be multi-faceted, not the least of which was an attempt to change their status from passengers to victims of religious profiling.

Read my initial report here, which includes a report of a Chaplain who says he was on the flight, and Doug Hagman at CFP here.


Clogging the Intelligence Pipeline

Is this what America is facing? Will there be lawsuits filed against numerous airlines for taking disruptive Muslims off of flights? As Larwyn (with some of my thoughts woven in) says: "Pregnant/and/or/Pious Females in Burkas...Religious Conferences couched as vacations, transgendered Arabs looking for a way to 72 virgins through their underpants...is this the new normal? 

Other recent airline "events:"

Muhammad Abu Tahir is AirTran Flight 39 Passenger Threw Shoes 

AirTran Flight 297 - Muslim Men Disrupt - Disturbing Ride for Passengers lawsuit alert

AirTran Flight 175 Muslim Family Removed - lawsuit alert

Mansor Mohammad Asad - Delta Disrupter. Son Blames it on other passengers