Flight Attendant Held in ‘Al Qaeda’ Threat
A Virgin Atlantic flight attendant suspected of writing a false Al Qaeda bomb threat was ordered held in Newark on $250,000 bail after authorities charged him with intimidating a flight crew and aircraft and interference with a flight crew.
The Jan. 19 flight from London to Orlando, Fla., was diverted to Iceland after Michael Philippe, 25, told the captain he had found a message reading, “Bin Laden is the best Americans must die there is a bomb on board Al Quaida,” on an airsickness bag in the plane’s lavatory.
Based on fingerprints and handwriting samples, the FBI believes Philippe wrote the message.
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