Northwest Airlines Flight 327
Encyclopedia
Northwest Airlines Flight 327 was a flight on June 29, 2004 from the Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport
in Romulus
, Michigan
to the Los Angeles International Airport
in Los Angeles
, California
. This event happened aboard N543US, a Boeing 757-200. The suspicious behaviour of a party of 13 Syrian musicians, on their way to an engagement in San Diego, alarmed flight attendants and passengers and raised concerns that they were observing a terrorist attack or a dry run
test. One passenger, journalist Annie Jacobsen
, wrote a series of articles about the incident, bringing it to national attention. A redacted version of the Department of Homeland Security Inspector General's report was released in May 2007 as a result of a Freedom of Information Act
request made by the Washington Times.
During the flight, Annie Jacobsen
, a writer for WomensWallStreet, believed that the men were acting suspiciously. She claimed that one of the flight attendants had previously notified an air marshal
on board the flight that she thought the men were acting suspiciously, but the air marshals later said that a flight attendant had merely passed on Jacobsen's concerns. Jacobsen and her husband became increasingly vocal when they believed that their concerns were not being taken seriously, to the point that air marshals believed that the couple might themselves be terrorists, trying to draw them out to reveal their identities.
In a series of articles for WomensWallStreet titled "Terror in the Skies, Again?," Jacobsen claimed that several other Flight 327 passengers have corroborated her story. One was so frightened by what she witnessed that she no longer travels by air. Others said they were convinced they were about to die. One such passenger confirmed the story to the Washington Times.
Debate over what happened on the flight became an Internet phenomenon, according to CNN
's Aaron Brown
. Jacobsen's articles were translated into many languages including Chinese, Swahili and German as it circulated around the globe.
In the WomensWallStreet articles, Jacobsen detailed the activity she took to be suspicious. She claimed that before boarding, the men did not interact or seem to be part of a group. Further, she claimed that during boarding, each man made eye contact with each of the others and nodded as if in agreement. One man, who wore an orthopedic shoe, complained loudly, just before takeoff, that he needed to switch seats. Once in flight, one of the men took a large McDonald's bag to a lavatory, exiting with the bag nearly empty, and giving the thumbs up sign as he passed two other suspicious men. Some of the other men also took objects with them to the lavatory, such as a mass of cloth, a camera, and a cell phone. Throughout the flight, the men would get up in unison, walk to the lavatories, and congregate in the aisles in groups of two and three. One of the men, wearing a suit and sunglasses, stood a foot or so away from the cockpit door. When the captain announced clearance for landing, seven of the men stood in unison and went to the lavatory, each taking about four minutes. The last man to exit the lavatory supposedly dragged his forefinger across his neck as he passed one of the other men, mouthing the word "No."
Upon arriving in Los Angeles, the 14 men that Jacobsen saw were detained for questioning and identity verification. The Federal Air Marshal Service concluded that they were Syrian band members en route to a San Diego casino to perform. Jacobsen claims, however, that only two of the men were briefly investigated and nobody has determined where the men went after leaving the airport. The Sycuan Casino & Resort confirmed that Syrian singer Nour Mhanna
performed there two days later, and that he brought his own backup band.
magazine, the lead air marshal aboard the flight stated, "there was never a time when my main partner or I felt there was an imminent threat to that airplane or the passengers." and "I understand why the passenger felt some anxiety about activity on Flight 327 but that kind of activity was unusual but not a security incident. There was never a threat to the plane." The Homeland Security report produced by the Inspector General revealed that this air marshal had noticed that the Syrians' travel visas were expired but the air marshal failed to report this information to his supervisors, claiming it was out of his jurisdiction.
Furthermore, the federal air marshals believed that Jacobsen "over-reacted" at the presence of persons of Middle Eastern appearance on the flight and "was in danger of panicking other passengers and creating a larger problem". They were also concerned that Jacobsen's actions were part of a terrorist plot to create a disturbance in order that the marshals be identified and that she "could have put the entire flight in danger".
The Department of Homeland Security, Office of the Inspector General, spent twenty-two months investigating flight 327; the report has been classified, but a redacted version reveals that the musical group's promoter, who was on the plane, had been involved in a similar incident in January 2004.
A Washington Times story claimed that some air marshals believed that Northwest flight 327 was a "dry run
" for a future terrorist attack involving commercial planes, but did not quote any air marshal making that claim, either with attribution or anonymously. A followup story revealed the Freedom of Information Act request and promised more details to come.
Gary Boettcher, president of the Coalition of Airline Pilots Associations, however, said that Jacobsen had likely witnessed a dry run, and that he had many similar experiences himself. Federal Air Marshal P. Jeffrey Black confirmed that in his opinion, flight 327 was a terrorist probe or dry run. Mark Bogosian, An American Airlines pilot, said that incidents like the one Jacobsen described were a "dirty little secret" that airline crew members had known for some time.
Jacobsen's original article was distributed widely through emails, and the veracity of her claims was discussed and dismissed on the Snopes urban legend
website.
After the August 2006 thwarted terrorist attack in England
, one which allegedly involved ten commercial airplanes being blown up by bombs built in the aircraft bathroom, talk radio shows across the country referenced Northwest Flight 327 as likely being a dry run, in spite of differences between the two: The accused in the August 2006 case were British nationals with Pakistani connections, not Syrians (or band members), and no one was prosecuted due to events involving Flight 327.
Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport
Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport , usually called Detroit Metro Airport, Metro Airport locally, or simply DTW, is a major international airport covering in Romulus, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. It is Michigan's busiest airport....
in Romulus
Romulus, Michigan
Romulus is a suburban city of Metro Detroit, located in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 23,989 at the 2010 census, an increase from 22,979 in 2000. Romulus is home to Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport and a General Motors plant that opened in 1976...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
to the Los Angeles International Airport
Los Angeles International Airport
Los Angeles International Airport is the primary airport serving the Greater Los Angeles Area, the second-most populated metropolitan area in the United States. It is most often referred to by its IATA airport code LAX, with the letters pronounced individually...
in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. This event happened aboard N543US, a Boeing 757-200. The suspicious behaviour of a party of 13 Syrian musicians, on their way to an engagement in San Diego, alarmed flight attendants and passengers and raised concerns that they were observing a terrorist attack or a dry run
Dry run (terrorism)
A dry run is an act committed by a terrorist organization without carrying out any actual terrorism in an attempt to determine whether a technique they are planning to use will be successful. The dry run is part of the rehearsal for a terrorist act, and is often the immediate precursor to the attack...
test. One passenger, journalist Annie Jacobsen
Annie Jacobsen
Annie Jacobsen is an American journalist who writes about business, finance and terrorism for a variety of national and international magazines and webzines and, in particular the Los Angeles Times Magazine....
, wrote a series of articles about the incident, bringing it to national attention. A redacted version of the Department of Homeland Security Inspector General's report was released in May 2007 as a result of a Freedom of Information Act
Freedom of Information Act (United States)
The Freedom of Information Act is a federal freedom of information law that allows for the full or partial disclosure of previously unreleased information and documents controlled by the United States government. The Act defines agency records subject to disclosure, outlines mandatory disclosure...
request made by the Washington Times.
The incident
Before takeoff, 14 men of Middle Eastern descent boarded the aircraft. Thirteen of the 14 men were Syrian nationals in the USA on short-term visas, using one-way tickets which they had paid for in cash. Their visas had expired on June 10, but they had filed for extensions, which were eventually granted.During the flight, Annie Jacobsen
Annie Jacobsen
Annie Jacobsen is an American journalist who writes about business, finance and terrorism for a variety of national and international magazines and webzines and, in particular the Los Angeles Times Magazine....
, a writer for WomensWallStreet, believed that the men were acting suspiciously. She claimed that one of the flight attendants had previously notified an air marshal
Sky marshal
A sky marshal is an undercover law enforcement or counter terrorist agent on board a commercial aircraft to counter aircraft hijackings...
on board the flight that she thought the men were acting suspiciously, but the air marshals later said that a flight attendant had merely passed on Jacobsen's concerns. Jacobsen and her husband became increasingly vocal when they believed that their concerns were not being taken seriously, to the point that air marshals believed that the couple might themselves be terrorists, trying to draw them out to reveal their identities.
In a series of articles for WomensWallStreet titled "Terror in the Skies, Again?," Jacobsen claimed that several other Flight 327 passengers have corroborated her story. One was so frightened by what she witnessed that she no longer travels by air. Others said they were convinced they were about to die. One such passenger confirmed the story to the Washington Times.
Debate over what happened on the flight became an Internet phenomenon, according to CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
's Aaron Brown
Aaron Brown
Aaron Brown is an American broadcast journalist most recognized for his coverage of the September 11, 2001 attacks, his first day on air at CNN...
. Jacobsen's articles were translated into many languages including Chinese, Swahili and German as it circulated around the globe.
In the WomensWallStreet articles, Jacobsen detailed the activity she took to be suspicious. She claimed that before boarding, the men did not interact or seem to be part of a group. Further, she claimed that during boarding, each man made eye contact with each of the others and nodded as if in agreement. One man, who wore an orthopedic shoe, complained loudly, just before takeoff, that he needed to switch seats. Once in flight, one of the men took a large McDonald's bag to a lavatory, exiting with the bag nearly empty, and giving the thumbs up sign as he passed two other suspicious men. Some of the other men also took objects with them to the lavatory, such as a mass of cloth, a camera, and a cell phone. Throughout the flight, the men would get up in unison, walk to the lavatories, and congregate in the aisles in groups of two and three. One of the men, wearing a suit and sunglasses, stood a foot or so away from the cockpit door. When the captain announced clearance for landing, seven of the men stood in unison and went to the lavatory, each taking about four minutes. The last man to exit the lavatory supposedly dragged his forefinger across his neck as he passed one of the other men, mouthing the word "No."
Upon arriving in Los Angeles, the 14 men that Jacobsen saw were detained for questioning and identity verification. The Federal Air Marshal Service concluded that they were Syrian band members en route to a San Diego casino to perform. Jacobsen claims, however, that only two of the men were briefly investigated and nobody has determined where the men went after leaving the airport. The Sycuan Casino & Resort confirmed that Syrian singer Nour Mhanna
Nour Mhanna
Nour Mhanna is a Syrian singer.Mhanna started his musical career as a reciter of the Qur'an, before switching to secular music. His most famous album to date is Wala Kan Albal with 3alayhi al Awaad the first track becoming an instant hit all over the Middle East.On 1 July 2004 he performed at...
performed there two days later, and that he brought his own backup band.
Reaction to reports
In a later interview to TIMETime
Time is a part of the measuring system used to sequence events, to compare the durations of events and the intervals between them, and to quantify rates of change such as the motions of objects....
magazine, the lead air marshal aboard the flight stated, "there was never a time when my main partner or I felt there was an imminent threat to that airplane or the passengers." and "I understand why the passenger felt some anxiety about activity on Flight 327 but that kind of activity was unusual but not a security incident. There was never a threat to the plane." The Homeland Security report produced by the Inspector General revealed that this air marshal had noticed that the Syrians' travel visas were expired but the air marshal failed to report this information to his supervisors, claiming it was out of his jurisdiction.
Furthermore, the federal air marshals believed that Jacobsen "over-reacted" at the presence of persons of Middle Eastern appearance on the flight and "was in danger of panicking other passengers and creating a larger problem". They were also concerned that Jacobsen's actions were part of a terrorist plot to create a disturbance in order that the marshals be identified and that she "could have put the entire flight in danger".
The Department of Homeland Security, Office of the Inspector General, spent twenty-two months investigating flight 327; the report has been classified, but a redacted version reveals that the musical group's promoter, who was on the plane, had been involved in a similar incident in January 2004.
A Washington Times story claimed that some air marshals believed that Northwest flight 327 was a "dry run
Dry run (terrorism)
A dry run is an act committed by a terrorist organization without carrying out any actual terrorism in an attempt to determine whether a technique they are planning to use will be successful. The dry run is part of the rehearsal for a terrorist act, and is often the immediate precursor to the attack...
" for a future terrorist attack involving commercial planes, but did not quote any air marshal making that claim, either with attribution or anonymously. A followup story revealed the Freedom of Information Act request and promised more details to come.
Gary Boettcher, president of the Coalition of Airline Pilots Associations, however, said that Jacobsen had likely witnessed a dry run, and that he had many similar experiences himself. Federal Air Marshal P. Jeffrey Black confirmed that in his opinion, flight 327 was a terrorist probe or dry run. Mark Bogosian, An American Airlines pilot, said that incidents like the one Jacobsen described were a "dirty little secret" that airline crew members had known for some time.
Jacobsen's original article was distributed widely through emails, and the veracity of her claims was discussed and dismissed on the Snopes urban legend
Urban legend
An urban legend, urban myth, urban tale, or contemporary legend, is a form of modern folklore consisting of stories that may or may not have been believed by their tellers to be true...
website.
After the August 2006 thwarted terrorist attack in England
2006 transatlantic aircraft plot
The 2006 transatlantic aircraft plot was a terrorist plot to detonate liquid explosives carried on board at least 10 airliners travelling from the United Kingdom to the United States and Canada...
, one which allegedly involved ten commercial airplanes being blown up by bombs built in the aircraft bathroom, talk radio shows across the country referenced Northwest Flight 327 as likely being a dry run, in spite of differences between the two: The accused in the August 2006 case were British nationals with Pakistani connections, not Syrians (or band members), and no one was prosecuted due to events involving Flight 327.