This morning Emergency units surrounded Northwest Airlines flight # 253 (same flight number as flight with Nigerian man who attempted incendiary ignition of alleged explosive substance while in flight) on the airfield at Detroit.

This morning’s flight was also from Amsterdam to Detroit. The pilot’s request for emergency assistance on touchdown appears to have noted the passenger as being ‘disruptive’… which in airtalk could mean, would not respond to instructions, refusing to be seated when asked, entering off-limits areas, remaining in restroom for extended period without being ill, being argumentative or abusive verbally without being able to quiet themselves, etc. Mental illness, drug reactions, drunkenness, prior trauma, could all be reason for untoward behavior.

The entire alphabet soup of the government is currently involved, investigating all luggage, interviewing all passengers and crew… that is, TSA, FBI, HS, K-9 Explosive Detection Teams and more.

The President had just ordered meeting on critical imperatives for airlines re a nevised screening process for flights. The Air Marshalls will likely be more numerous on flights now as well.

The psychology of behavior after ‘a critical incident’

Most often, all concerned become doubly, triply, aware and suspicious. There are often quite a few ‘wrong calls’ after a true critical incident; and thus many matters are taken up that are problematical, but do not rise to the degree of the original incident.

Response after a critical incident follows a bell curve, rocketing up to the zenith of alertness, often in minutes’ or hours’ time, and then slowly, over months, slowly coming back down, not to nadir, but to an often alert mean that is consistent… and bolstered by continuing drills and training.

For the MSM news media, Christmas is considered a dead news time locally, and so when matters like this occur– which in this case may be a non-critical incidence but one worth looking into for certain regarding the safety of all passengers and crew– one might see non-stop coverage on the cable news for instance.

But, I notice often nowadays as I’d venture that you do also, that the non-stop coverage of certain news items are not always concomitant with the gravity of the news matter.

even more screening is due now
It is said that now passengers prior to boarding and once in their seats on the plane before takeoff, will be more heavily screened, not being allowed to put blankets and other items on their laps etc.

Profiling
Look for the profiling debate to surface again, also.