'Hi, Jack' on plane triggers SWAT team
'Hi, Jack' on plane triggers SWAT team
by Shawn D. Lewis / The Detroit News ( http://detnews.com/ )
Waterford -- Pilots named Jack, beware.
Minutes after a boarding passenger stuck his head in the cockpit of a corporate jet and greeted the co-pilot with "Hi, Jack," a SWAT team surrounded the plane at the Oakland County International Airport in Waterford on Monday.
Waterford police chief John Dean recounted the "Hi Jacking" to Katie Couric on this morning's Today show.
Said Lt. Rick Crigger of the Waterford police department: "Air traffic controllers thought they overheard the word 'hijack,' in the background as the pilot was completing his transmission to the tower." At the time, the planes' four to six passengers were boarding the jet.
The controllers then called the police. Adding to the plot, the pilot had turned off his radio right after talking to the controllers because his takeoff was delayed.
The Waterford SWAT team arrived at the airport in less than three minutes and secured the area.
The pilot then noticed the police.
"So he finally turns the radio back on and he is advised to taxi the plane to the tarmac," Crigger said. "He gets out of the plane with his hands up and we established that he was indeed the pilot."
After a little explaining, police double-checked on the plane's passengers and the flight took off.
Able to laugh about it now, Crigger added, "Those are some quite embarrassed people" at the airport.
