From a 'Pop' to a Headlock, Passengers Recall Flight 253 (original) (raw)

The Lede | From a ‘Pop’ to a Headlock, Passengers Recall Flight 253

See next articles

See previous articles

From a ‘Pop’ to a Headlock, Passengers Recall Flight 253

By Sarah Wheaton

December 26, 2009 12:29 am December 26, 2009 12:29 am

“We heard a pop and the next thing you know it was a fire,” Calvin Kakar, a passenger on Northwest Airlines Flight 253, told The Detroit Free Press. He was among the 278 passengers on a trans-Atlantic flight to Detroit that ended with the arrest of a man who tried to ignite an explosive device in what officials are calling an attempted terrorist attack. Travelers recounted the confusing series of events to news organizations waiting for them at the gate of Detroit Metropolitan Airport.

“It sounded like a firecracker in a pillowcase,” said Peter Smith, who was also also quoted by The Free Press.

But after the ignition of the device, the sequence of events as remembered by the passengers grows hazy.

“There was a little bit of light, a little bit of — kind of flamish light and there was fire,” Syed Jafry, who said he was sitting three rows behind the suspect, told CNN. “And people began to panic.”

“There’s a lady shouted, ‘What are you doing? What are you doing?’ ” said Elias Sawaz, in an interview with WXYZ-TV in Detroit.

Some remembered the practical effort to put out the fire.

“We said, ‘There’s fire, bring water!’ ” recalled Zeena Saigal, speaking to WXYZ.

Richelle Keepman, seated at the back of the plane, initially had trouble discerning what was happening.

“I think we knew at the point when we saw the fear in the flight attendants’ eyes, and they grabbed the fire extinguishers,” Ms. Keepman said to WDIV-TV in Detroit.

Then, Ms. Saigal said, a “sturdy guy put a lock” around the head of the suspect, identified by authorities as Abdul Farouk Abdulmutallab, 23.

“He handled him pretty good, I think,” Mr. Jafry said of the volunteer, who jumped over several rows of seats.

Mr. Abdumutallab was ultimately dragged to the front of the plane, pants down, severely burned.

“He was burnt quite severely on his leg,” Melinda Dennis told WXYZ. “They were very careful in trying to make sure that he didn’t have anything else on him.”

Ms. Dennis continued: “He was very calm. He didn’t show any reaction to pain or any feeling of shock or nervousness. He just looked like a normal individual.”

Still, despite all the commotion, some passengers did not find out until much later why they were delayed getting off the plane. Richard Griffith told The Free Press that he was sitting in the back and did not “see or hear anything.”

So, like everyone else not on the flight, he will have to wait until the amateur video is released to the media. The Free Press quoted Ms. Keepman: “We just saw a man filming it and heard screaming.”