Suspected pipe bomb found at ISP

[moose135]

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/ny-li ... 5494.story (http://www.newsday.com/news/local/ny-limac1017,0,435494.story)


Suspected pipe bomb found at MacArthur
Would-be passenger detained at security checkpoint, airport officials say

BY JOHN VALENTI | [email protected]
9:17 AM EDT, October 16, 2008

A would-be passenger was in police custody Thursday morning after Long Island-MacArthur Airport security agents discovered a suspected pipe bomb in his baggage, airport officials said.

Part of the Southwest Airlines terminal was evacuated after the "fuse device" was discovered during a hand check of baggage, Airport Deputy Commissioner Eric Hofmeister said. Hofmeister said the would-be passenger termed the device "fireworks" but that "it's believed it may be a pipe bomb."

The man was to board a Southwest Airlines flight bound for Las Vegas, Hofmeister said, when the device was discovered by Transportation Security Administration agents at 7:38 a.m. Thursday. The TSA agents immediately notified airport police, Hofmeister said, and Gates 5-8 at the Southwest Terminal were immediately evacuated.

Officials also notified Suffolk County police, who sent an Emergency Services Unity Bomb Squad to the scene, Hofmeister said. Airport officials also restricted access to Gates 1-2 on the west end of the terminal and to the original terminal gates. Hofmeister said bomb squad personnel "removed the suspicious package" from the airport at 8:38 a.m. and that TSA agents and other airport personnel were allowed back into the building after 8:40 a.m.

It is unclear when the terminal will reopen, but Hofmeister believed it would be before 9:30 a.m.

[moose135]

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/ny-li ... 5494.story (http://www.newsday.com/news/local/ny-limac1017,0,435494.story)


Suspected pipe bomb found at MacArthur
Would-be passenger detained at security checkpoint, airport officials say

BY JOHN VALENTI | [email protected]
9:17 AM EDT, October 16, 2008

A would-be passenger was in police custody Thursday morning after Long Island-MacArthur Airport security agents discovered a suspected pipe bomb in his baggage, airport officials said.

Part of the Southwest Airlines terminal was evacuated after the "fuse device" was discovered during a hand check of baggage, Airport Deputy Commissioner Eric Hofmeister said. Hofmeister said the would-be passenger termed the device "fireworks" but that "it's believed it may be a pipe bomb."

The man was to board a Southwest Airlines flight bound for Las Vegas, Hofmeister said, when the device was discovered by Transportation Security Administration agents at 7:38 a.m. Thursday. The TSA agents immediately notified airport police, Hofmeister said, and Gates 5-8 at the Southwest Terminal were immediately evacuated.

Officials also notified Suffolk County police, who sent an Emergency Services Unity Bomb Squad to the scene, Hofmeister said. Airport officials also restricted access to Gates 1-2 on the west end of the terminal and to the original terminal gates. Hofmeister said bomb squad personnel "removed the suspicious package" from the airport at 8:38 a.m. and that TSA agents and other airport personnel were allowed back into the building after 8:40 a.m.

It is unclear when the terminal will reopen, but Hofmeister believed it would be before 9:30 a.m.

[moose135]

Some updates on the above Newsday story...


Transportation Security Administration agents then "pulled the individual's checked bags" and found "M-80 fireworks and ammunition," TSA spokeswoman Lara Uselding told Newsday.

A device that had "wires and possibly looked like a pipe bomb" was found at 7:28 a.m. in a carry-on bag while being X-rayed by TSA agents, Uselding said.

Part of the Southwest Airlines terminal was evacuated after the discovery, Airport Deputy Commissioner Eric Hofmeister said. Officials said the man, whose identity has not been released, was taken into custody by Suffolk County police. Police have not confirmed those reports.

The terminal was re-opened at 9:30 a.m. and just one flight was delayed, officials said.

[moose135]

Some updates on the above Newsday story...


Transportation Security Administration agents then "pulled the individual's checked bags" and found "M-80 fireworks and ammunition," TSA spokeswoman Lara Uselding told Newsday.

A device that had "wires and possibly looked like a pipe bomb" was found at 7:28 a.m. in a carry-on bag while being X-rayed by TSA agents, Uselding said.

Part of the Southwest Airlines terminal was evacuated after the discovery, Airport Deputy Commissioner Eric Hofmeister said. Officials said the man, whose identity has not been released, was taken into custody by Suffolk County police. Police have not confirmed those reports.

The terminal was re-opened at 9:30 a.m. and just one flight was delayed, officials said.

[Gerard]

Geezus another genius.

[emshighway]

This guy is a real putz. I can't explain all the facts as it is an ongoing investigation but the item was a smoke bomb and there were other items in his possession. He is now a guest of Suffolk County and become a guest of the federal government.

[PhilDernerJr]

But how does a smoke bomb get called a pipe bomb?

[emshighway]

This is close enough:

Man with pipe bomb, weapons arrested at NY airport
By FRANK ELTMAN – 1 hour ago

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. (AP) — A man trying to board a flight was arrested Thursday after a pipe bomb, knife, fireworks and suspicious electronics were found in his luggage at a Long Island airport, authorities said.

Authorities said Steven Nobles told investigators he inadvertently carried the items to the airport and had not intended to use them on the Southwest Airlines flight to Las Vegas. About 500 passengers were evacuated from the MacArthur Airport terminal for about two hours Thursday morning.

Nobles, 20, of Las Vegas, was denied bail in U.S. District Court in Central Islip after his arrest at the airport in Ronkonkoma. He appeared in court wearing a black T-shirt depicting a machine gun and green glow-in-the-dark skulls.

"His actions are bizarre. I don't feel comfortable giving him bail at this time," U.S. Magistrate Judge A. Kathleen Tomlinson said.

Nobles faces charges including carrying a weapon or explosive on an aircraft and up to 20 years in prison if convicted. The FBI did not return a call seeking comment, and it wasn't immediately known whether Nobels had a lawyer.

Authorities said in a federal complaint that Nobles was stopped during routine screening inside the airport terminal. Authorities evacuated the airport after Transportation Security Administration security officers noticed a 7-inch folding knife in Nobles' carry-on bag, followed by what appeared to be a pipe bomb.

A subsequent inspection of the man's checked luggage revealed fireworks, electrical circuit boards, a battery with electrical tape and .22-caliber rounds that are used in a nail gun to drive nails into concrete, the complaint said.

"Even though it was a bit chaotic, everyone listened and the police did the right thing," Karen Semigran of Holbrook, who was seeing family off to Mexico, told Newsday.

Nobles allegedly told authorities he built the pipe bomb using a metal pipe, fuses and gunpowder from M-80 explosives, smokebombs and other fireworks. His intent, according to the complaint, was for the device to "cause a giant smoke cloud, a flash of light and hopefully a loud noise."

[Gerard]

But how does a smoke bomb get called a pipe bomb?

Does it matter? The key word in your post is...BOMB!! That is all that matters.
Wouldnt surprise me if this guy is just a clueless idiot who actually thought it was okay to bring the items on board and
wonders what all the fuss is about.

[emshighway]

But how does a smoke bomb get called a pipe bomb?

Does it matter? The key word in your post is...BOMB!! That is all that matters.
Wouldnt surprise me if this guy is just a clueless idiot who actually thought it was okay to bring the items on board and
wonders what all the fuss is about.

Yep, a homemade play toy is more unstable than someone with a little experience making a device.

[PhilDernerJr]

A smoke bomb doesn't even explode...it just emits smoke, whereas a pipe bomb can rip an airplane in half.

It matters because the media, or whoever first said "pipe bomb" first instead of what it actually was, creates unnecessary hysteria among the public that explosives are being brought on aircraft.

[emshighway]

A smoke bomb doesn't even explode...it just emits smoke, whereas a pipe bomb can rip an airplane in half.

It matters because the media, or whoever first said "pipe bomb" first instead of what it actually was, creates unnecessary hysteria among the public that explosives are being brought on aircraft.

The suspect said it was a smoke bomb but the image on the x-ray and investigation revealed a pipe bomb. The suspect said he mixes M80s, smoke bombs and other items so the item would have exploded.

Phil, this was legit. An inexperienced idiot playing chemistry class, more dangerous than anything else.

[JetBlueAirwaysFan]

What a shmuck.