'Oh S***!': What 'Bomb Hoax' Passenger said When he saw Fighter Jet Flying Alongside his Plane - as Police Reveal He has Now Been Sectioned
- Full-scale emergency sparked over fears of bomb on flight from Doha
- RAF Typhoon was scrambled and accompanied airliner in to land
- Police arrested a 47-year-old man on suspicion of making a bomb hoax
- It is alleged he handed cabin crew a note saying device was on board
- Passengers left terrified after armed police surrounded plane on tarmac
- The suspect has now been sectioned under the Mental Health Act
Daily Mail UK, 6 August 2014
The alleged bomb hoaxer arrested on a flight into Manchester Airport said 'oh s***' when he saw an RAF Typhoon pull alongside the passenger plane in mid-air, fellow passengers have revealed.
The 47-year-old suspect, from north-west England, allegedly passed a note to cabin crew saying there was a bomb on board the plane, sparking a full scale alert in which a fighter jet was scrambled from a nearby airbase.
Passengers who sat near the man on the plane have now told how his mood quickly changed when he looked out of the window and saw the warplane flying just yards from the aircraft's wing.
The man was led away from the Qatar Airways plane by armed police after the flight landed yesterday and he has now been sectioned under the Mental Health Act.
The man who was arrested over an alleged bomb hoax on a Qatar Airways flight
to Manchester yesterday has now been sectioned, police announced this morning
Worried passengers on the flight photographed the man being led away by police after the plane landed
A huge emergency operation was launched yesterday afternoon when the pilot of flight QR23 from Doha contacted authorities on the ground to tell them of fears a bomb had been smuggled on board the plane.
It is claimed the suspect wrote a note to cabin crew as part of the alleged hoax, as fears of a terror attack spread among those on board.
Fellow passengers told the Daily Mirror today that the man was initially quiet, but said 'oh s***' when the Typhoon appeared outside the window.
The suspect, who was wearing a green t-shirt with silver lettering on it, was later pictured being hauled off the flight before being led, handcuffed, onto the tarmac.
The full scale alert meant armed police surrounded the plane after it landed and a number of flights were diverted away from the airport
Police have now sectioned the man under the Mental Health Act so he can be assessed before they decide whether to charge him.
A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said: 'A man, 47, arrested following an incident at Manchester Airport has been sectioned under the Mental Health Act.
'Following his arrest he was assessed by medical staff and again by a mental health team. He was subsequently sectioned to allow for a fuller assessment and appropriate treatment.'
After they were allowed to leave the aircraft yesterday, some of the 269 passengers who had been on board described the moment the fighter jet from RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire pulled alongside their plane.
One of them was Josh Hartley, who said he spotted the RAF Typhoon outside the window of the passenger plane after they had circled several times.
Mr Hartley told the BBC: 'We were coming in to land (and) about eight minutes, 10 minutes before we landed, a fighter jet came alongside. I looked out the window, then I just started shaking - (it was) a bit terrifying seeing a fighter jet outside the window.'
He said passengers had not been given information about what was happening by the 13-strong crew of the Qatari plane, who even gave them the standard weather update before they touched down.
Aurang Zeb, 60, who was returning from a holiday to his home in Bradford, said: 'I thought there was something wrong because there was a jet flying so near.'
He said the plane landed and was taken to an area well away from the terminal and other planes, where they waited for 45 minutes, then moved again closer to the terminal.
The Typhoon was dispatched from RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire after the airline
pilot radioed authorities on the ground to tell them of the perceived threat
The terrified passengers had to wait on the plane after the man was arrested and were later transferred to the terminal by bus
Passenger Aurang Zeb said those on the flight were left terrified by rumours there was a bomb on board
Mr Zeb added: 'Then I saw all the police with guns. Lots of police everywhere. Kids were crying, some people looked very worried because of rumours there's a bomb on the plane.'
Mr Zeb told how two armed police then came on and removed the suspect passenger.
He said: 'They sat him up and said 'Put your hands up'. He did not say anything. People were still worried something might be on board.
'There was a rumour of a bomb on the plane so people are scared. Thank God for that not happening.'
Manju Geo, who was coming to the UK from India to visit family in Stoke, said: 'We were told he was writing some notes on the flight and the air hostess found that.'
Passengers on the plane and people on the ground photographed the Typhoon as it roared alongside the airliner in the skies over Manchester
Manchester Airport said nine incoming flights had to be diverted to other airports, with five of these landing at Leeds Bradford Airport.
One of the flights that landed on time at Manchester once the emergency was over was the plane carrying Manchester United back from Florida, where the team had played in a pre-season friendly tournament.
Last night, GMP chief superintendent John O'Hare said: 'The incident arose when the pilot received information about a possible device on board the plane having been handed a note from a passenger.
'As a result a full emergency activation commenced that involved the aircraft being escorted in by the RAF before specialist officers boarded and subsequently made an arrest.
'A full search of the aircraft has now finished and nothing suspicious was found.'