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U.S. fighter jets escort Korean Air flight to Comox after bomb threat

WingsofFury

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Wasn't sure which section to put it in...

U.S. fighter jets escort Korean Air flight to Comox after bomb threat

Postmedia News Apr 11, 2012 – 8:14 AM ET | Last Updated: Apr 11, 2012 12:28 PM ET

By Cindy E. Harnett and Sandra McCulloch

VICTORIA — A Korean Air flight bound for Seoul from Vancouver with 134 passengers on board was diverted Tuesday and forced to land in Comox on Vancouver Island after a bomb threat was called into a U.S. call centre for the airline.

The plane, which now sits at Comox Airport, has a crew of 13, headed by Canadian pilot Stow Andrew Chisholm, for a total of 147 people on board.

The passengers and crew have been taken off the plane and into an airplane hangar where they are being interviewed by the RCMP, said Comox Mayor Paul Ives.

There were no obvious injuries and everyone is being taken care of,” said the mayor, who had just spoken to Comox’s fire chief. Police, fire crews and B.C. Ambulance paramedics are also on the scene.

“It’s too early to tell if they are staying the night or headed back to Vancouver,” Ives said, adding that 19 Wing Comox has enough space and sleeping quarters for the passengers and crew if that is necessary.

“They’ll be well looked after and if they need anything from the community they will certainly ask us,” Ives said.
Korean Air flight 72 was accompanied into Comox by U.S. air force F-15 fighter jets from Portland, Ore., according to the Victoria Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre.

“Twenty-five minutes after take off from Vancouver International Airport, the U.S. call centre received a call that there was a threat on board the aircraft,” said Penny Pfaelzer, a spokeswoman for Korean Air, in an email statement on behalf of the airline. “After discussion with the related departments, we decided to turn the aircraft.”

The plane was diverted over Haida Gwaii.

Following Canadian government regulations, the plane landed at Comox, Pfaelzer said. The airline will decide about continuing the flight after discussion with the airport and related authorities, the email said.

Military and commercial flights share the 10,000-foot runway at Comox Airport and 19 Wing, Canadian Forces Base Comox, military personnel operate the air control tower.

More at the link -> http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/04/11/u-s-fighter-jets-escort-korean-air-flight-to-comox-after-bomb-threat/
 
Are there not two CF-18s waiting at Comox for just this type of situation? Why would they send two F-15s from Oregon all the way north to Haida Gwaii when there were other assets closer? I don's ask this facetiously, I'm genuinely curious.
 
RedFive said:
Are there not two CF-18s waiting at Comox for just this type of situation? Why would they send two F-15s from Oregon all the way north to Haida Gwaii when there were other assets closer? I don's ask this facetiously, I'm genuinely curious.

Nope, the CF-18's are stationed at CFB Cold Lake and are only occasionally at CFB Comox.

The F-15's were in Seattle, a heck of a lot closer than CFB Cold Lake and were the closest available assets to respond, hence why NORAD dispatched them.
 
The airspace is watched by NORAD: Whoever is closer goes. Anybody remembers that some of the first air CAP over Washington on 9/11 were Canadian CF-18's?
 
Oldgateboatdriver said:
Anybody remembers that some of the first air CAP over Washington on 9/11 were Canadian CF-18's?

That's news to me.....  Source...?
 
http://www2.insidenova.com/news/2012/apr/08/first-fighter-jet-respond-911-attacks-heads-marine-ar-1826616/

F/A-18 Hornet from VMA-321.

Not CF.
 
My bad, obviously.

My source was a friend of mine working at the Navy Dept. in the Pentagon at the time, but I now guess that he may have been guessing as to who the F-18's belonged to (Though he is USN, he should have known that the Navy or Marines could have also  sent some of them).
 
The aircraft was assigned to VMA 321, a reserve unit which was then stationed at Andrews Air Force Base, and is the first Marine aircraft to fly a protective patrol over Washington,D.C., after 9/11,"

First Marine aircraft to Fly Cap. Doesn't say it was the first Aircraft.
 
my72jeep said:
First Marine aircraft to Fly Cap. Doesn't say it was the first Aircraft.

Fair enough. I won't look any further though because i really don't give a flying fuck.
 
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