# Explosive Device set off on US Airline
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosive-device-set-off-on-us-airline/522599
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [December 26, 2009, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosive-device-set-off-on-us-airline/522599 "2009-12-26T02:28:03Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)
#### Post date: [December 26, 2009, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosive-device-set-off-on-us-airline/522599/1 "2009-12-26T02:28:03Z")
While landing at the Detroit Metro airport, a passenger set of a bomb. People said it sounded like a balloon popping.
I just drove past the airport a few minutes on the way home from Christmas celebration. Sounds like a guy had an explosive, but the explosion was not enough to destroy the plane.
[Read it here(sounds people are OK)](http://www.cnn.com/2009/TRAVEL/12/25/airliner.firecrackers/index.html)
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### Author:  [@The\_Weird\_One](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Weird_One)
#### Post date: [December 26, 2009, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosive-device-set-off-on-us-airline/522599/2 "2009-12-26T02:53:29Z")
Goddamn terrorists. Thank goodness he wasn’t successful. From the story there, it sounds like only the terrorist and possibly one other person were injured. It’s dismaying that he was able to sneak an explosive on the plane and that this will mean even tighter airline security. Flying anywhere just became an even bigger pain in the ass!
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### Author:  [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)
#### Post date: [December 26, 2009, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosive-device-set-off-on-us-airline/522599/3 "2009-12-26T03:13:38Z")
Wow. He burned his leg, so I guess a shoe bomb is a possibility.
What gets me is that Amerstam airport screening is amongst the best. A flight to or from Detroit is high-risk. I am surprised he got through.
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### Author:  [@thirdname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdname)
#### Post date: [December 26, 2009, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosive-device-set-off-on-us-airline/522599/4 "2009-12-26T03:15:57Z")
Haha, dumbass only managed to burn himself.
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### Author:  [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)
#### Post date: [December 26, 2009, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosive-device-set-off-on-us-airline/522599/5 "2009-12-26T13:38:06Z")
Mighty feeble bomb.
Mistaken for a firework, by many.
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### Author:  [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)
#### Post date: [December 26, 2009, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosive-device-set-off-on-us-airline/522599/6 "2009-12-26T13:44:41Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#):
>
> Mighty feeble bomb.
>
> Mistaken for a firework, by many.
Looks more like an incendiary device.
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### Author:  [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)
#### Post date: [December 26, 2009, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosive-device-set-off-on-us-airline/522599/7 "2009-12-26T13:45:51Z")
Why is America still here this morning?
Shouldn’t we be under marshall law, or have a mushroom cloud over one of our cities, or sumthin?
I am **very** disappointed.
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### Author:  [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)
#### Post date: [December 26, 2009, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosive-device-set-off-on-us-airline/522599/8 "2009-12-26T16:55:02Z")
That’s it! No more pants on airplanes! Remove them all at the gate.
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### Author:  [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)
#### Post date: [December 26, 2009, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosive-device-set-off-on-us-airline/522599/9 "2009-12-26T16:56:18Z")
> [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](#):
>
> Wow. He burned his leg, so I guess a shoe bomb is a possibility.
>
> What gets me is that Amerstam airport screening is amongst the best. A flight to or from Detroit is high-risk. I am surprised he got through.
I bleieve the flight originated from Nigeria, which is probably where he got the bomb on the plane.
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### Author:  [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)
#### Post date: [December 26, 2009, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosive-device-set-off-on-us-airline/522599/10 "2009-12-26T16:58:29Z")
> [@Larry\_Borgia](#):
>
> I bleieve the flight originated from Nigeria, which is probably where he got the bomb on the plane.
So, who got the e-mail and dismissed it as another 419 scam? That’ll teach you.
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### Author:  [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)
#### Post date: [December 26, 2009, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosive-device-set-off-on-us-airline/522599/11 "2009-12-26T17:20:05Z")
I really am wondering how this is gonna effect the screening at airports?
It’s funny 'cause I’ve been through smaller airports like at Nashville and Columbus, OH and they always seem to be more thorough with their screening. Both times when I flew to those cities I had to take off my shoes, they examined my CD-Walkman etc. But when I got on the plane in Chicago (O’Hare or Midway) they just let me go on.
Same in NYC and DC, just walk on through.
Maybe they have more sophisticated detectors at those biggers airports.
Atlanta wouldn’t let me take my peanut butter cups on ☹ They said to check my bag and put the peanut butter cups in them
sadists LOL
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### Author:  [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)
#### Post date: [December 26, 2009, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosive-device-set-off-on-us-airline/522599/12 "2009-12-26T17:24:33Z")
I haven’t flown since 9/11. Are passengers screened at connecting airports? If I’m going to Seattle and I’m screened in Des Moines, will I be screened again in Denver? Or would Denver assume I’m okay since I was checked in Des Moines?
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### Author:  [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)
#### Post date: [December 26, 2009, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosive-device-set-off-on-us-airline/522599/13 "2009-12-26T17:25:00Z")
> [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](#):
>
> So, who got the e-mail and dismissed it as another 419 scam? That’ll teach you.
According to this story, the suspect’s dad is a prominent Nigerian banker.
[http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091226/ap\_on\_re\_us/us\_airliner\_attack;\_ylt=AqHxaRDSAPEeZ\_4knEeUqI2s0NUE;\_ylu=X3oDMTNpcHJsdGs1BGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMDkxMjI2L3VzX2FpcmxpbmVyX2F0dGFjawRjY29kZQNtb3N0cG9wdWxhcgRjcG9zAzEEcG9zAzIEcHQDaG9tZV9jb2tlBHNlYwN5bl90b3Bfc3RvcnkEc2xrA25pZ2VyaWFiYW5rZQ--](http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091226/ap_on_re_us/us_airliner_attack;_ylt=AqHxaRDSAPEeZ_4knEeUqI2s0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTNpcHJsdGs1BGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMDkxMjI2L3VzX2FpcmxpbmVyX2F0dGFjawRjY29kZQNtb3N0cG9wdWxhcgRjcG9zAzEEcG9zAzIEcHQDaG9tZV9jb2tlBHNlYwN5bl90b3Bfc3RvcnkEc2xrA25pZ2VyaWFiYW5rZQ--)
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### Author:  [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)
#### Post date: [December 26, 2009, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosive-device-set-off-on-us-airline/522599/14 "2009-12-26T17:31:22Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#):
>
> I haven’t flown since 9/11. Are passengers screened at connecting airports? If I’m going to Seattle and I’m screened in Des Moines, will I be screened again in Denver? Or would Denver assume I’m okay since I was checked in Des Moines?
If you don’t leave the post-screening area, you won’t be screened again. Most airports are set up this way, although if you need to transfer to a different terminal to catch a connecting flight, you might have to go through screening again.
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### Author:  [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)
#### Post date: [December 26, 2009, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosive-device-set-off-on-us-airline/522599/15 "2009-12-26T17:31:45Z")
> [@Larry\_Borgia](#):
>
> I bleieve the flight originated from Nigeria, which is probably where he got the bomb on the plane.
He was on a flight from Nigeria to Holland and then changed planes and went to Detroit. He probably went through initial screening in Nigeria and didn’t have to again in Holland.
It seems like he just had fireworks or flares which isn’t enough to blow a hole in a plane. Al Queda would have done a better job. My guess is that he’s mentally ill with delusions of grandeur and never had any contact with Al Queda.
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### Author:  [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)
#### Post date: [December 26, 2009, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosive-device-set-off-on-us-airline/522599/16 "2009-12-26T17:52:19Z")
I heard a report on our local NBC news (Detroit) that he got up to use the bathroom, and came back with a pillow over his abdomen. Then some witnesses saw him with a syringe full of liquid. I’m sure there are a bazillion kinds of exothermic chemical reactions that can go boom, but any ideas what would be easy enough to disguise through security?
I wonder if it was something as simple as water + sodium?
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### Author:  [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)
#### Post date: [December 26, 2009, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosive-device-set-off-on-us-airline/522599/17 "2009-12-26T17:57:07Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#):
>
> While landing at the Detroit Metro airport, a passenger set of a bomb. People said it sounded like a balloon popping.
DHS bans anything that could sound like a balloon from passing security.
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### Author:  [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)
#### Post date: [December 26, 2009, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosive-device-set-off-on-us-airline/522599/18 "2009-12-26T18:06:41Z")
> [@hajario](#):
>
> It seems like he just had fireworks or flares which isn’t enough to blow a hole in a plane. Al Queda would have done a better job. My guess is that he’s mentally ill with delusions of grandeur and never had any contact with Al Queda.
Scratch that. He was apparently on the “watch list” for two years but not the “no fly list.”
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### Author:  [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)
#### Post date: [December 26, 2009, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosive-device-set-off-on-us-airline/522599/19 "2009-12-26T18:07:53Z")
> [@Shalmanese](#):
>
> DHS bans anything that could sound like a balloon from passing security.
Is this right? You can bring a paper bag on, at least I’ve done this, you blow the lunchbag up and POP it. OK so it doesn’t sound JUST like a balloon but it’s close
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### Author:  [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)
#### Post date: [December 26, 2009, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosive-device-set-off-on-us-airline/522599/20 "2009-12-26T18:09:42Z")
> [@beowulff](#):
>
> If you don’t leave the post-screening area, you won’t be screened again
You’re not wrong, but I’ve seen people get the extra security check. For instance, a lady in front of me, got wanded before she was allowed to board. When we changed planes, we got in line again to board and she was wanded again.
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