NYT : 12 Passengers Detained After Plane Turns Back

12 Passengers Detained After Plane Turns Back

By JEREMY W. PETERS | August 23, 2006

A Northwest Airlines flight from Amsterdam to Mumbai, India, turned back shortly after takeoff today and returned to Schiphol airport under fighter-jet escort.

After the plane landed, Dutch authorities took 12 passengers into custody. But it was not immediately clear why the passengers were being held, and no charges were immediately filed.

Northwest said in a statement that “a couple of passengers” on the plane, Flight 42, aroused suspicion after “displaying behavior of concern.”

That behavior included using cellphones, attempting to pass cellphones to other passengers and unfastening safety belts while belt use was still required, according to an airline official.

Twenty minutes into the flight, when the plane was over Germany, the pilot requested permission to return to Amsterdam and asked for a military escort. The Royal Netherlands Air Force sent two F-16 fighter jets to meet the plane.

The pilot did so after United States air marshals on the flight became concerned enough over the passengers’ behavior to identify themselves and take control of the situation, news agencies reported. Air marshals ride commercial jets in plain clothes and generally do not make their presence known if they feel a flight crew can control passengers without assistance.

Pamela Kuypers, a spokeswoman for the airport, said details of the in-flight incident were not immediately clear.

“The aircraft landed safely, and all passengers are safe,” Ms. Kuypers said. There were about 149 passengers on the flight.

So far, Dutch police have not released any details of what occurred on board. When asked by Reuters whether terrorism could be ruled out, a police spokesman said: “We don’t want to get ahead of ourselves.”

Northwest canceled Flight 42 for the day, but said it would resume Thursday. Passengers from the canceled flight are being put up in hotels in Amsterdam.