Hero of Flight 253 recounts terror attempt
Here’s a CNN interview with Jasper Schuringa, one of the passengers on board Northwest Airlines Flight 253 into Detroit. Accounts emerging so far credit the young Dutchman with initiating the effort by passengers and crew to thwart the terrorist attack.
“We just jumped and tried to save the plane,” he says. “And we did luckily save the plane.”
Schuringa’s quick action apparently helped save many lives, and he deserves a lot of praise. On the other hand, when somebody is thrust from anonymity into the heat of the media spotlight, you always have to worry about how they’ll handle it. Based on this interview, Schuringa doesn’t seem all that enthralled with the spotlight. Somehow, that makes his story all the more appealing.
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500 comments Add your comment
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm!
December 27th, 2009
8:34 am
If only the TSA could have done their job, he wouldn’t have had to risk his life and be used by the White House state run media as the “big” story, since they don’t want to talk about the underlying problem.
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm!
December 27th, 2009
8:36 am
Geez, when even the state run media admits, you’d better start worrying-
Even though the economy will likely keep growing, the pace is expected to be plodding. That will make employers reluctant to hire. Further contributing to high unemployment is the likelihood of more people competing for jobs, baby boomers delaying retirement and interest rates edging higher. -Urinal
Yeah, so let’s saddle We The People with gigantic tax hikes from our lovely health care obomination.
duh
stands for decibels
December 27th, 2009
8:39 am
Mornin’.
This guy is very matter-of-fact about it, but I suspect it’s what most of us would’ve attempted to have done under the circumstances, and it’s how we’d likely describe the experience.
Anyway, what he and others accomplished, it does qualify as heroic under the circumstances, so kudos to this Dutchman and those who lent a hand.
(wasn’t it a Frenchman who initially subdued the shoe bomber years back? might go check on that…)
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm!
December 27th, 2009
8:40 am
With one of the busiest travel periods of the year coming just two days after an attempted terrorist attack aboard a Northwest Airlines flight, travelers around the world prepared for long security lines and unexpected safety measures designed to surprise terrorists. -Urinal
Why do I know that this means that more elderly Americans will be getting strip searched?
Or that some little toddler will have her bottle ripped from her hands and emptied onto the floor?
Southern Comfort
December 27th, 2009
8:43 am
“If only the TSA could have done their job”
Not that load of BS again. You still didn’t answer whether or not TSA should be dispatched to foreign lands to screen all flights headed to the US. I’m guessing from that answer, you think they need to be sent abroad.
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm!
December 27th, 2009
8:44 am
Abdulmutallab, who had a valid U.S. visa, appeared on the Terrorist Identities Datamart Environment database maintained by the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center, said a U.S. official who received a briefing. Containing some 550,000 names, the database includes people with known or suspected ties to a terrorist organization. However, it is not a list that would prohibit a person from boarding a U.S.-bound airplane.-Urinal
Well, of course it wouldn’t.
What’s the big deal having ties to a terrorist group?
As far as we have our heads up our rear ends, Jasper Schuringa is lucky he didn’t float down to Detroit in pieces.
Southern Comfort
December 27th, 2009
8:45 am
sfd
The way I see it is:
a) You sit on the plane and do nothing and wait to meet your maker,
or
b) You throw caution to the wind, and do what you have to do to survive.
I’m all for option b.
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm!
December 27th, 2009
8:46 am
8:44 is a start, SoCo, you on the list, you no fly with civilized people. Row, row, row your boat if you want to go to Detroit.
Plain and simple common sense.
Try it some time.
stands for decibels
December 27th, 2009
8:47 am
Not that load of BS again.
You’ll eventually come to learn the wisdom of scrolling past the troll-pest’s rants.
Southern Comfort
December 27th, 2009
8:51 am
Whiner
Are you on the list? You seem to use quite a few of those buzz words in your posting. Are you sure the NSA or FBI aren’t watching you?
You talking about trying common sense? Where are the hidden cameras, because I know I’m on some hidden camera show. This must be America’s Funniest Internet Postings Show or something.
hahaha
stands for decibels
December 27th, 2009
8:52 am
You throw caution to the wind, and do what you have to do to survive.
You make it sound as if there’s a lot of deliberation going on at such fight or flight moments. Based on my own experience and those recalled by others, a lot of it’s pretty involuntary; the thinking comes later.
jt
December 27th, 2009
8:52 am
Usually these europeans are a little quicker to act because Americans have to FIRST consider a potential lawsuit.
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm!
December 27th, 2009
8:57 am
SoCo- I would prefer that the TSA erred on the side of caution. I am of the opinion that the scenario of two hundred innocent people raining down from the sky is not preferable to a lackadaisical attitude towards one’s sworn duties.
If I appear on the list, then I don’t fly until I correct the list.
stands for decibels
December 27th, 2009
8:58 am
One last thing off-topic before running–the dead-tree Sunday AJC had a pretty good side-by-side comparison of what’s to be reconciled between the House and Senate HCR bills.
The same thing appears to be posted here online although it is, inexplicably, not side-by-side…
http://www.ajc.com/business/a-comparison-of-house-257201.html?cxntlid=daylf_tpcr
Just fyi.
Mrs. Godzilla
December 27th, 2009
9:00 am
Well, here’s my idea.
Fly Naked.
Ok, the airlines could issue each passenger a flight suit – some kind of combination of scrubs and a prison jumpsuit. After a full search of course.
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm!
December 27th, 2009
9:05 am
sfd- Believe me, I pre flight profile at the gate and on the tarmac before take off. I usually know where the air marshall is by their attire and carry on bag. Knowing full well the lack of seriousness and PC ignorance our government is inflicted with, I plan on taking matters into my own hands, should the need arise.
No flaming exit for the Reporter, if I have any say in it.
Saw a dude in a turbin on one flight, in the row next to me, start praying upon take off, and also noticed that several American women were also praying.
I relaxed and enjoyed the flight.
Southern Comfort
December 27th, 2009
9:09 am
sfd
Not much time for deliberation. It’s more like you described. You either go or don’t go. I’d like to think that with the training I’ve gone thru, I’d be on autopilot while unleashing the a$$whipping of all a$$whippings on that plane. I’d probably have to make an appology or two afterwards, because if it moves, I’m gonna punch it into oblivion.
Mrs. Godzilla
December 27th, 2009
9:14 am
Carefull SoCo and dB….
When I suggested something similar yesterday I (yes dear sweet old Mrs. G) got accused
of being a vigilante…by folks who wouldn’t commit to at least try and stop the bad guys from
lighting up!
Southern Comfort
December 27th, 2009
9:18 am
Mrs. G
I saw that, and I laughed my butt off. The image I saw was you jumping over seats to save the hides of the very ones who accused you.
Poetic Justice!
Road Scholar
December 27th, 2009
9:23 am
Whiner: The tone of your post makes it sound like you are looking forward to a whole body strip! Let’s make sure you are on the anal search list! Now are you wanting to pay for increased security?
jt: Americans aren’t considering the legal ramifications, but are worried about there own individual safety. While we talk big (Bomb, bomb, bomb,…) most non military Americans would wait until someone took care of it for them. We’re both chicken and spoiled.
Thank God that the passengers and crew are safe.
Would you be happy on going on vacation, you are thrust into a position repeatedly answering the same questions (and some of them dumb)from the media?
Taxpayer
December 27th, 2009
9:25 am
I see Andy is still trying to get his rise by blaming the lack of a successful terrorist attack on the TSA or whatever. I don’t even want to know who he blames for 9/11 and what blame he places on them. Ewwwwwww.
Mrs. Godzilla
December 27th, 2009
9:27 am
SoCo
It would be just my luck to be traveling with my best purse (a gift, I’d never pay that!).
I pity the terrorist who forces me to beat him about the head and shoulders with my 10 year old coach bag.
Michael W.
December 27th, 2009
9:30 am
The bomb was a dud. End of story. It’s not like the terrorist had a box cutter on him. The only danger for the passengers would have been if they had stumbled across this blog.
The Charlie Sheen story is more interesting. Hell, “Who killed Kirk Robbin” is a more interesting case.
morons.
Mrs. Godzilla
December 27th, 2009
9:30 am
here’s an interesting take….
Obama and his team obviously prefer a far more mature, strategic approach. It’s about projecting a sense of calm and control. It’s about choosing not to elevate some lunatic thug who set himself on fire.
Indeed, notice the pattern throughout the year. The Obama administration has taken out Saleh al-Somali, Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan, and Baitullah Mehsud, while taking suspected terrorists Najibullah Zazi, Talib Islam, and Hosam Maher Husein Smadi into custody before they could launch potential attacks.
In each case, there were no high-profile press conferences, no public chest-thumping, no desire to politicize the counter-terrorism successes. Indeed, most of the country probably never heard a word about any of these developments.
It’s about competent and effective leadership, and it’s what the country was sorely lacking up until 11 months ago.
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2009_12/021643.php
Mrs. Godzilla
December 27th, 2009
9:32 am
Michael W
Morons?
So early on a Sunday morning?
Bless your heart.
Road Scholar
December 27th, 2009
9:33 am
Jay, I want to congratulate you on being the only blog manager of actually working this weekend. Wooten posted once but the others are on vacation or furlough it seems. Maybe you drew the short straw….but it is appreciated.
Mrs G: No disrespect, but I’m not sure I want to see someone naked on an airline flight! Besides, sitting in the molded plastic chairs at the gate before departure may have a “chilling ” affect!
Mrs. Godzilla
December 27th, 2009
9:36 am
Road
The jumpsuits would be issued with blinders…..
TnGelding
December 27th, 2009
9:37 am
Dutchman? Nah, it had to be a red-blooded American!
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm!
December 27th, 2009
8:34 am
Grow up and get real! Maybe they should recruit you to shape everyone up and implement fool-proof procedures. The sheer volume of government work is overwhelming.
AmVet
December 27th, 2009
9:38 am
As I said earlier, the worst of these Old White Guys from Dixie are just upset that the attempt wasn’t successful. It would have made their Holiday Season had they gotten the opportunity to “blame” the Uppity Mongrel for a downed airliner. And a few hundred dead innocent people is no big deal to them…
The conned – dumb and yellow. Not a good combo…
@@
December 27th, 2009
9:45 am
Remembering Todd Beamer, hero on Flight 93.
Remembering Tianamen Square
Southern Comfort
December 27th, 2009
9:54 am
Michael W
Google “Bojinka Plot” and see how those duds can actually be more dangerous than an actual explosion.
mike
December 27th, 2009
9:54 am
AmVet –
“As I said earlier, the worst of these Old White Guys from Dixie are just upset that the attempt wasn’t successful”
What an ignorant and hateful statement. Haven’t been here in a while, but it is nice to see that mindless partisanship is still driving folks to view any serious national problem as an opportunity to demonize people who don’t share their narrow minded views.
Of course, we have Whiner demonstrating that this ignorant activity is as popular with mindless partisans on both sides of the ideological divide. Folks like Whiner and you are what is wrong with this country, not liberals or conservatives.
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm!
December 27th, 2009
9:57 am
Grow up and get real! Maybe they should recruit you to shape everyone up and implement fool-proof procedures. The sheer volume of government work is overwhelming.
To this excuse we can now substitute the word “health care.”
Sorry, Mr. Smith, about the death of your wife but we were just “overwhelmed.”
Southern Comfort
December 27th, 2009
10:06 am
Mrs. G
As far as I have seen, a Coach bag is not on the banned item list nor does it have to be registered as a deadly weapon. Bash’em and exchange the bag because of a found defect.
DoggoneGA
December 27th, 2009
10:07 am
“You still didn’t answer whether or not TSA should be dispatched to foreign lands to screen all flights headed to the US.”
You have to give him a break on this…if he can’t come up with a good insult, or a good “twist” – he just doesn’t answer. So chalk it up to a failure of bad will.
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm!
December 27th, 2009
10:10 am
mike- Simpletons like you are what is “wrong with this country.”
Your position is that anti Americanism and the liberal agenda can be compromised with and mine is that they can’t. For you to call me extreme because of a political disagreement only illustrates the narrow comprehension abilities of your puny little mind.
You are more than welcome to produce evidence and well thought out logic proving my “extremism,” but I know that mentally unable to, so now I return you to relative obscurity.
buh bye!
Southern Comfort
December 27th, 2009
10:13 am
Doggone
Sometimes it’s good to put the shoe on the other foot. I’ve seen him question Jay over and over again, so I feel that it’s ok to do the same to him. If he chooses not to answer, it only goes towards his credibility, not mine.
DoggoneGA
December 27th, 2009
10:15 am
“If he chooses not to answer, it only goes towards his credibility, not mine”
Quite right! But he thinks he’s being “firm” and “uncompromising.” And, BTW, he never answered MY question about the charges against those Navy Seals either.
godless heathen
December 27th, 2009
10:18 am
And where was Obama? Vacationing in HI while our country was under attack!! And he still hasn’t rushed home to defend the Homeland. Shameful.
Redneck Convert (R--and proud of it)
December 27th, 2009
10:20 am
Well, amen to Mrs. G. Buck-nekkid is the way to fly. If they’re going to keep bringing bombs and knifes on the planes, then take their hiding places away.
I don’t fly myself and I don’t go places where I can’t drive to, but it’s time to nip this plane stuff in the bud. No fooling around. You don’t just fine somebody for bringing dope with them, you send them straight to prison. You don’t send people to prison if you can give them the Death Penalty. It’s the Conservative way. So I say don’t even show up at a airport wearing clothes. If you can’t stand somebody looking at you when you’re nekkid, then stay home.
That’s my opinion and it’s very true. Have a good Sabbath everybody and I hope everybody went to church. You need to wear clothes there, of course. Only a prevert would show up at church nekkid.
DoggoneGA
December 27th, 2009
10:20 am
“And where was Obama? Vacationing in HI ”
And not flying willy-nilly all over the country dodging non-existent terrorists in planes out to “get him”
Southern Comfort
December 27th, 2009
10:21 am
What he thinks only matters in his mind, and I’ve noticed is not always the same sentiment that other conservative minds here agree to. I guess it’s all in perception. A bag of gas to one person can be a balloon to someone else.
And, I have noticed that he never answered your question. I will give him credit on mine for starting an answer @8:44, even though I don’t know how it actually pertains to my question.
Mrs. Godzilla
December 27th, 2009
10:21 am
Hawaii ….1/50th of our homeland since 1959.
kayaker 71
December 27th, 2009
10:21 am
The El Al model of security has worked well over the years to prevent possible terrorist acts on their aircraft. They feel that they are in constant danger of some Arab blowing up one of their planes. We are just not that scared yet. It will take several acts of violence aboard American aircraft to convince the American flyer that his security is more important than his inconvenience.
getalife
December 27th, 2009
10:21 am
Andy wants everybody to remove their underwear and put it in the tray.
Ew.
The full body scan might have caught it bit doubt other countries will use it.
We are all Israelis now.
Man up Andy like Jasper.
Southern Comfort
December 27th, 2009
10:22 am
RC
I can’t work all day looking at nekkid people. Can they at least wear underwear?
Southern Comfort
December 27th, 2009
10:25 am
kayaker
I can definitely agree with you on the El Al model. It would change air travel drastically here, and I’m not too sure the business community would embrace it with open arms. I think the average traveler would assimilate to that model a lot better and faster than the business traveler, but that’s only from observations and interactions with the traveling public that I have personally experienced.
Mrs. Godzilla
December 27th, 2009
10:26 am
How about we anesthetize all passengers?
A knock out drop in your complimentray coffee tea or milk, and you wake up at your destination on the luggage carousel ready to be picked up.
DoggoneGA
December 27th, 2009
10:27 am
“It will take several acts of violence aboard American aircraft to convince the American flyer that his security is more important than his inconvenience”
Sounds good to me. Let’s nationalize all the airlines and put the government in charge of security on ALL of the flights in and out of the US. Of course, we’d have to raise taxes to pay for it…or us the “conservative model” and borrow more from China. But hey! What’s a few more billion when our security is at stake and there are frightened people to protect.
josef nix
December 27th, 2009
10:29 am
And a cheery good a.m. to all y’all too!
Mrs. G–looks like you at least got up on the right (correct, that is!) side of the bed…. Let me know, though, if you and redneck convert are ever on the same flight!
AmVet– there you go again, bashing Dixie…I’d rather be an old white guy here with a projected temp in the 50s and a bright sunny day than an old white guy shoveling snow someplace else…be careful though when up there and don’t eat the yellow snow, jus’ come on back home and p*ss in the wind…
Road Scholar–The Bruin does earn his keep…
SoCo–what would we do? Who knows until confronted. I’ve been in the position, though not with so many lives at stake, and did knock the gun out of the fellow’s hand and get him to the ground. Truth be told, it was done and over with before I even knew what was going on. I shook like a Waring blender for a good 30 minutes afterwards! When the cops got there they thought I was the intended victim!
As for our hero, he is that for a fact. Calm, cool and collected, modest and self-effacing….