Northwest Airlines Flight 253
A Northwest Airbus A330 in Delta livery, similar to the 253 used for flight northwest
On the Northwest Airlines Flight 253 (NW 253), a passenger flight of Northwest Airlines from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport to Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, was attempted terrorist attack on December 25, 2009, shortly before landing. The machine of the type Airbus A330 -300 left Amsterdam at 8:45 CET clock and ended at noon (EST ) in Detroit.
Incident
About 20 minutes before landing in Detroit ignited the 23- year-old Nigerian Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab a " powdery substance ", according to information from law enforcement agencies over 80 g PETN, which he had hidden in his underpants. He was overpowered by other passengers. He testified that he had received the substance in Yemen to blow up the plane with 278 passengers and eleven crew members.
Intelligence failure
Abdulmutallab 's father, a prominent banker and former Nigerian Minister of Economic Development, was up front about the growing radicalism of his son so concerned that he has mid-2009, warned the U.S. Embassy in Abuja and Nigerian security agents. In addition, the name of the assassin was because of possible links to al -Qaeda and Yemen in U.S. intelligence reports. U.S. President Obama criticized the intelligence sharp and said there were enough information been known to uncover the attack plans in advance. Had this information been brought together, Abdulmutallab should never have been allowed on board.
Consequences
In response to the events on board the aircraft security checks have been tightened in international aviation and again discussed the use of body scanners stronger political and public, although the explosives would have been not detected by the scanner. In addition, ask leading U.S. politicians by the incumbent President Barack Obama promised during the election campaign and provided for the 2010 closure of the Guantanamo detention center in question. At the preparation of the attack two former Saudi Guantanamo detainees had been involved that should have joined after the dismissal of al - Qaeda.
Accomplice
Passengers Lori and Kurt Haskell watch as a 50 - year-old man at the ticket counter in Amsterdam tried to bring the alleged assassin without a passport to board the aircraft. In addition, one hour after the flight from the FBI another culprit had been arrested, but this is denied by the FBI.
Similar incident
A similar case occurred on 22 December 2001 on American Airlines Flight 63, as an assassin tried to ignite an explosive charge hidden in his shoe.