Attempted hijacking Qantas flight.

[Bee]

A Qantas flight from Melbourne to Tassie was the subject of an attempted hijack this afternoon. Ten minutes into the flight to Launceston a man tried to enter the ****pit and stabbed two air hostesses who tried to stop him. The attempted hijacker was subdued and the flight returned to Melbourne.
Don't have much more information at this stage, but it seems good old Qantas left relatives and friends who were waiting in Launceston for the flight without an explanation. Refusing to explain to the worried people why the flight had been delayed for so long.
Apparently the man had carried some type of wooden sharpened instrument onto the plane with him. So much for tightened security!

 

[Blues_Girl]

That's just what I need to here. I'm flying Qantas for the first time next Thursday and I was never a great flyer to start with but after this they will need to sedate me before I get on board.

 

[Docker_Brat]

Originally posted by Blues_Girl
That's just what I need to here. I'm flying Qantas for the first time next Thursday and I was never a great flyer to start with but after this they will need to sedate me before I get on board.

I doubt you'd have a problem getting 'sedated'


About the news, this is stunning stuff. Security were naturally worried about sharp metal objects being taken on board.. who considered wood? I guess even plastic can be used.

 

[ozzult]

Hmm. A friends parents flew to Tassie today. Not sure if they took Qantas or Virgin though.

 

[Blues_Girl]

Originally posted by Docker_Brat
I doubt you'd have a problem getting 'sedated'


About the news, this is stunning stuff. Security were naturally worried about sharp metal objects being taken on board.. who considered wood? I guess even plastic can be used.

I think i'll go with the vodka IV drip

Oh thanks! Makes me feel even better!

 

[sbagman]

You know, this is EXACTLY what I need to hear 36 hours before my flight to Tel Aviv.

 

[Bee]

Scary stuff I reckon. I fly a lot, and so do my friends and family. I'd say there is never more than a month between them visiting here or me visiting them. I Never used to worry about flying at all before all this crap started. So much for security checks. If someone can figure out they can get sharpened wood weapons through, plus an accelerant in an aerosol can, then I don't have much faith in the new security arrangements.
The only thing that used to worry me about flying was the claustrophobia I felt when ever I first step into the cabin. Ah!

 

[Sydneyfan]

Originally posted by Bee
Scary stuff I reckon. I fly a lot, and so do my friends and family. I'd say there is never more than a month between them visiting here or me visiting them. I Never used to worry about flying at all before all this crap started. So much for security checks. If someone can figure out they can get sharpened wood weapons through, plus an accelerant in an aerosol can, then I don't have much faith in the new security arrangements.
The only thing that used to worry me about flying was the claustrophobia I felt when ever I first step into the cabin. Ah!

Scary stuff, indeed. After Sept. 11, I thought they'd be a marked increase in security at Australian airports. We heard plenty of hyperbole that this was the case but I remember rocking up to Sydney Airport in Dec. '01 to pick up my ticket ordered online and fly down to Melbourne, I didn't have to show any ID whatsoever in picking up my ticket, the Ansett guy (hey, they needed anyone they could get at that stage! ) just took my word (which while nice, had me a little disillusioned about whether they were all that concerned with security at all). Traveling over to Korea, the only security for myself and my hand luggage was the walk-through x-ray machine. In Seoul, no customs whatsoever for me, walk straight through after getting my passport stamped and visa checked to get my luggage off the turnstile. Bit of a difference to once when my brother and I travelled from London to Washington several years back, the only thing missing was the cavity search!

While, all this is nice and stress-free for travellers I expected a lot more thorough, extensive security checking to ease my mind.

It still seems that it's still shockingly easy for people travelling with ill-intent to carry out their plans, despite oft-mentioned security upgrades.

 

[Portia]

Which is more disturbing for the security implications?

Having a failed hijack attempt made by a terrorist organization, who planned it in great detail.

OR

Having a failed hijack attempt made by one person who is just nuts.

 

[Sydneyfan]

Originally posted by Porthos
Which is more disturbing for the security implications?

Having a failed hijack attempt made by a terrorist organization, who planned it in great detail.

OR

Having a failed hijack attempt made by one person who is just nuts.

The scary thing is that one bloke who is bananas is seemingly still capable of attempting a hi-jacking. That's scary! When it comes to the likes of Al Qaeda, the planning and perparation that they do gives them a reasonable possibility of putting off their aims.

Though you'd like to think that the security would be strong enough to snuff the possibility of just one nutter putting off a hi-jacking.

IMO, it's very scary that one bloke alone is still capable of causing disruption though I guess no mattter how strong the security, unfortunately, some will always pull through the net.

 

[Bee]

Originally posted by Porthos
Which is more disturbing for the security implications?

Having a failed hijack attempt made by a terrorist organization, who planned it in great detail.

OR

Having a failed hijack attempt made by one person who is just nuts.

Both!
What makes me angry is Qantas are trying to shrug it off as nothing.
They seem to think by saying it wasn't a terrorist attack but just a 'nut case', it's alright.
Well, I'd like to ask how the **** did that 'nut case' get those weapons onboard?
Bugger Qantas, I fly with them all the time, and and I fly often. If they can't give me better answers I'll fly Virgin. Or maybe it would be safer if I went by ferry across the strait!

 

[mantis]

I am waiting for the report that says he converted to Islam, just before this attempted hijack, surely Howard could milk heaps out of this.

 

[raskolnikov]

When I flew to Moscow they took my nail file from my liitle manicure set that my parents gave me for my birthday one year. Yep I'm going to go into the cabin and say, "Fly me to Kabul or I'll file your nails for you."

 

[JF_Bay_22_SCG]

Originally posted by Bee
Scary stuff I reckon. I fly a lot, and so do my friends and family. I'd say there is never more than a month between them visiting here or me visiting them. I Never used to worry about flying at all before all this crap started. So much for security checks. If someone can figure out they can get sharpened wood weapons through, plus an accelerant in an aerosol can, then I don't have much faith in the new security arrangements.
The only thing that used to worry me about flying was the claustrophobia I felt when ever I first step into the cabin. Ah!

I fly to Melbourne or whereever to support the Swans, and have flown Qantas, Ansett (RIP), Virgin, and even Regional Express in their 28 seat buzzboxes to get to my destination. I STILL think the plastic QF cutlery is more than strong enough to be used as a weapon. Next time you fly, check out how thick the knives are.

On Saturday I'm flying Virgin for the Tigers match. I'd be buggered if I pay for more than a muffin en route.

As regards claustrophobia, you should try flying Rex. 28 seats 3 abreast, and so squashy that you can hardly fit your legs behind the seat in front of you. Overhead lockers, there ain't any. And imagine the noise of a mixmaster X 20 and a lawnmover. That is what the SAAB plane felt like. And rather disconcertingly, I had to change planes in Albury hopping onto a new plane with its propellars already going. Don't fancy being another member of the Jack Newton Memorial Eyeball club.

I generally only get claustrophobic when I'm sleep-deprived and have been in the plane for 18 hours and feel I can't get out. Window seats, no grazie!

JF

 

[ozzult]

How can you stop a person carrying a wooden "stabbing device"??

It doesn't get picked up by the metal detector, and if they have it tucked in under their shirt or whatever, the only way it could be found is if every single person is checked, police style, with the legs apart etc.

 

[grinspoon]

least they attempted to stop the hi jacker, unlike the americans. i think the sep 11 guys had small razors, this guy 15cm stakes..... good on the flight attendant, poits to him on that one. hope they bashed the **** out of the guy.

 

[otaku]

Originally posted by Sydneyfan

Though you'd like to think that the security would be strong enough to snuff the possibility of just one nutter putting off a hi-jacking.

Did the hi jacking succeed?

hmm....that then must tell you something, right??

 

[Sydneyfan]

Originally posted by otaku
Did the hi jacking succeed?

hmm....that then must tell you something, right??

It didn't succeed only because the flight crew and passengers interfered with the hi-jacker before he got to the c#?kpit, security had nothing to do with the prevention of the hi-jacking.

A great, courageous effort by the crew and passengers though I'd feel more comfortable if it didn't get to the stage where the crew and passengers had to perform the security in order to prevent a hi-jacking.

 

[knuckles]

Really crap security. Lock the overhead compartments and pat down people (e.g. Philippines). Or wait for something bad to happen.

 

[Bee]

Originally posted by Sydneyfan
It didn't succeed only because the flight crew and passengers interfered with the hi-jacker before he got to the c#?kpit, security had nothing to do with the prevention of the hi-jacking.

A great, courageous effort by the crew and passengers though I'd feel more comfortable if it didn't get to the stage where the crew and passengers had to perform the security in order to prevent a hi-jacking.

Exactly! He got past the so called tight security. It was the effort of passengers and the flight crew that eventually stopped him.
The problem now is, we will have a lot of un-balanced copy cats doing the same thing. This guy has proved how easy it is.

 

[The Scarecrow]

Atleast it didn't crash, must not like Launceston then.....

 

[Bee]

Originally posted by The Scarecrow
, must not like Launceston then.....

Can't say I blame him!

 

[carlyp]

Originally posted by Bee
Can't say I blame him!

Whats wrong with Launceston?

 

[myee8]

Originally posted by DonFan
When I flew to Moscow they took my nail file from my liitle manicure set that my parents gave me for my birthday one year. Yep I'm going to go into the cabin and say, "Fly me to Kabul or I'll file your nails for you."

Would it have mattered if you had put it in the luggage to be stored in cargo? I mean it's not like you can get it there compared to if it was in cabin luggage.

 

[Bee]

Originally posted by carlyp
Whats wrong with Launceston?

North of Oatlands. You know what they say down south, 'There ain't no good men, north of Oatlands'.

I was only joking, Carly.