Wednesday morning Northwest Airlines Flight 979 was forced to land because of suspicious behavior from passengers. The flight departed two minutes late from Memphis International Airport at 8:47 a.m. and headed to Las Vegas. The plane was scheduled to arrive in Las Vegas at 10:19 a.m., however, it had an unscheduled stop at the Fort Smith Regional Airport in Arkansas at 9:55 a.m.
The plane was forced to land because of unusual behavior from four passengers that created a situation the crew was unable to resolve in the air.
Jim Harris, a spokesman for Governor Mike Huckabee, stated that the men appeared to be of Middle Eastern descent. According to Brian Marshall, spokesman for the FBI, the four passengers had been involved in suspicious activity in the plane’s bathroom.
Ninety-four passengers and five crew members were safely removed from the plane and taken to the airport terminal to wait for a later flight. All luggage was removed from the plane.
In the Associated Press release, the State Department of Emergency Management said a form of negotiation was held between officials and the men locked on the plane.
“When someone obstructs the safe operation of a plane they will face federal prosecution,” George Bolds, Media Coordinator for the Memphis FBI field office, said.
At 4:07 p.m. the plane left Fort Smith Regional Airport, however, Northwest Airlines was not releasing more details concerning flight 979.
