John R. Houk
© January 6, 2019
I found a story on a MeWe Group I belong to telling the tale
narrated by a “Tedd Petruna” about eleven Muslim men in their traditional garb
on AirTran Flight 297, from Atlanta to Houston. The Muslims allegedly sat
spread throughout the airliner from 1st Class to Coach. What followed
as described was an agitated commotion alarming passengers and Flight Crew
initiated by the Muslims – ALLEGEDLY.
The story tries to add credibility by claiming it was
reported on Fox News and ignored by
the Mainstream Media (MSM). The reality is that this story is Chain Email that
has been spread across the Internet via various methods such as email and
Social Media.
The story piqued my interest because I am a bona fide critic
of Islam as a religion with a basis of existence that threatens Judeo-Christian
Western principles that evolved to the world experiencing the greatest amount
of individual Freedom and Liberty to date in human history. (The irony today is Western Leftists have
wittingly or unwittingly allied themselves with Freedom-Liberty stealing Islam,
but that’s another story.)
Ergo, I went to the Google route noticing immediately that
Fact Checking websites galore looked into the AirTran Flight 297. I am
decidedly a part of the Conservative Right. Meaning I consider the more notable
Fact Checking websites (e.g. Snopes) fact check with a
Leftist agenda rendering them skewed to unreliable in interpretation.
It is my humble opinion the best Fact Checking website is Truth or Fiction. And Truth or Fiction labels the AirTran Flight 297 as NOT TRUE. AND YET
reading the Truth and Fiction
analysis you will realize this isn’t just a fantastic work of fiction because
SOMETHING happened to create the fiction.
Between the something happened and how an actual incident
became warped and twisted into the 2019 version that actually might make a
great movie thriller someday.
ONE NOTE: Truth and
Fiction makes no mention of Fox News
reporting.
So, this is how I’m
going to share this: I’ll present the Chain Email I read at the MeWe Group
(which is faithful to the text, but I
re-worked the paragraphs a bit). Then I’ll follow the AirTran Flight 297 fiction
with the analysis given by Truth or
Fiction.
JRH 1/6/18
***************
On MeWe Group ABOLISH ISLAM
1/4/19 6:33 PM
[I haven’t figured
out how to share individual posts from MeWe yet, but you click the Group link
above to locate.]
TRUE STORY WARNING FOR EVERYONE NO MATTER WHERE YOU LIVE
Please Read & Share. CANCELLED
FLIGHT -- PLEASE READ!! Read entire story.
We should be very, very concerned about this! And to think
that Fox News was the only channel that reported this. They may be
\\\"politically incorrect\\\", but at least they had the courage to
report it. In my opinion, the Muslims are all getting very brave now.
Read Tedd Petruna's story below.
Can you imagine, our own news media now are so politically
correct that they are afraid to report that these were all Muslims? Unbelievable.
Thank God for people like Tedd Petruna.
Tedd Petruna is a diver at the NBL (Neutral Buoyancy Lab)
facility at NASA Houston... Tedd happened to be on the AirTran Flight 297, from
Atlanta to Houston. Here's his report:
One week ago, I went to Ohio on business and to see my
father. On Tuesday, the 17th, I returned home. If you read the papers the 18th
you may have seen a blurb about where an Air Tran flight was canceled from
Atlanta to Houston due to a man who refused to get off of his cell phone before
take- off... The story was only on Fox News.
That was NOT what really happened. I was seated in 1st class
coming home. Eleven Muslim men got on the plane in full Muslim attire. Two of
them sat in 1st class and the rest seated themselves throughout the plane, in
coach class, all the way to the back. As the plane taxied out to the runway,
the stewardesses gave the safety spiel that we are all so familiar with. At
that time, one of the men in 1st class, got on his cell and called one of his
companions back in coach.
He proceeded to talk on the phone in Arabic very loudly and
very, very aggressively. This activity took the 1st stewardess out of action
for she repeatedly told the man that cell phones were not permitted at that
time. He ignored her as if she were not there.
The man, who answered the phone back in the coach section,
did the same and this took out the 2nd stewardess.
Further back in the plane, at the same time, two younger
Muslims, one in the back on the aisle, and one sitting in front of him by the
window, began to show footage of a porno video they had taped the night before.
They were very loud about it. The 3rd stewardess informed the two men that they
were not to have any electronic devices on at this time.
One of the men said \\\"shut up infidel dog!\\\"
The stewardess attempted to take the camcorder and the Muslim began to scream
in her face in Arabic. At that exact moment, all eleven of the men got up and
started to walk throughout the cabin. I guess that because of the noise, the flight
crew must have decided that there was something amiss and changed the plane's
directions to head back to the terminal.
The commotion and noise was reaching a feverish pitch, and
at this point I had had enough! I got up and started towards the back of 1st class
when I heard a voice behind me from another Texan twice my size, say,
\\\"I got your back.\\\" Then I grabbed the man, who had been on the
cell phone, by the arm and said, \\\"You WILL sit down in your seat or you
WILL be thrown from this plane!\\\" As I \\\"led\\\" him around
me to take his seat, the fellow Texan grabbed him by the back of his neck and
his waist and headed him back to his seat.
I then grabbed the 2nd man and said, \\\"You WILL do
the same!\\\" He protested loudly, but my adrenaline was flowing now and
he was going to go also. Just as I escorted him forward, the plane stopped, the
doors opened and three TSA agents and four police officers entered the cabin.
Myself and my new Texas friend were told to cease and desist for they had the situation
under control. I was quite happy to oblige, actually. There was still some sort
of commotion in the back, but within moments, all eleven Muslim men were
escorted off the plane. The TSA agents then had their luggage unloaded. We
talked about the occurrence and were in disbelief that it had happened. Then
suddenly, the door opened again and in walked all eleven Muslim men! Stone
faced, eyes front and robotic, (the only way I can describe it) and they were
reseated.
The stewardess from the back had been in tears and when she
saw the men, she was having NONE of it! Since I was up front, I heard and saw
the whole ordeal. She told the TSA agents that there was NO WAY she was staying
on the plane with the Muslim men. The agent told her that they had searched the
men and were going through their luggage with a fine tooth comb. However,
nothing had been found and that the men were allowed to proceed on to Houston.
The captain and co-captain came out of the cockpit and told the agent,
\\\"We and our crew will not fly this plane!\\\" After a word or two,
the entire crew, luggage in tow, left the plane. Five minutes later, the cabin
door opened again and a whole new crew walked on.
Again, this was where I had had enough! I got up and asked
the TSA agent, What the hell is going on? I was told to take my seat. The
airlines and TSA were sorry for the delay and we would be home shortly. I said,
\\\"I'm getting off this plane\\\". The stewardess sternly told me
that she could not allow me to get off.
Now I'm really mad! I said, \\\"I am a grown man who
bought this ticket, whose time is mine, with a family at home, and I am going
through that door, or I'm going through that door with you under my arm, but I
AM going through that door!\\\" And then I heard a voice behind me say,
\\\"So am I!\\\" Then everyone behind us started to get up and say
the same thing. Within two minutes, I was walking off that plane where I was
met by more TSA agents, who asked me to write a statement about the incident.
I had five hours to kill at this point waiting for the next
flight to Houston, so why the hell not give them my statement. Due to the
amount of people who got off that flight, it was canceled.
I was supposed to be in Houston at 6 PM, but I finally got
there at 12:30 AM. If you don't believe this, look up the date and then Flight
297 from Atlanta to Houston.
If this wasn't a terrorism dry run, I don't know what is.
The terrorists wanted to see how TSA would handle it, how the crew would handle
it, and how the passengers would handle it. I'm telling this to you because I
want you to know. The threat IS real. I saw it with my own eyes.\\\"
Tedd Petruna
May I request that you keep this going until this incident
reaches the email of all POLITICIANS and the news media! PEOPLE THAT DELETE THIS
TYPE OF EMAIL, REFUSE TO PASS IT ON, OR SIMPLY DON'T CARE ARE ONE OF THE
REASONS THAT PEOPLE THAT DO CARE CAN'T MAKE ANY HEADWAY... THE THREATS ARE
REAL.
++++++++++++++++
A speculative story
shared by a purported passenger has been circulating on social media as new
since 2009.
Claim
A passenger witnessed a "hijacking dry run" on AirTran Airways
Flight 297 in 2009.
Rating
Not
True
Reporting
Summary of eRumor:
This eRumor is said
to be from a man who was aboard an airplane about to depart from Atlanta,
Georgia when there was a disturbance which he describes as prompted by a group
of 11 “Muslim men got on the plane in full attire” and “peppered themselves
throughout the plane.”
They purportedly created a disturbance that included loud cell phone conversations, the showing of a porn video on a portable player, calling a flight attendant “an infidel dog.” The writer claims that he and another passenger helped physically escort the eleven men toward the exit of the airplane where they were met by several TSA agents and police officers to take the men away.
Later, however, the men were allowed to reboard the airplane, at which point several of the passengers and the entire crew got off in protest and said they would not fly when the men on the plane. The writer said all of the men were talking in Arabic, speculating that this may have been "a dry run" for a terrorist attack.
They purportedly created a disturbance that included loud cell phone conversations, the showing of a porn video on a portable player, calling a flight attendant “an infidel dog.” The writer claims that he and another passenger helped physically escort the eleven men toward the exit of the airplane where they were met by several TSA agents and police officers to take the men away.
Later, however, the men were allowed to reboard the airplane, at which point several of the passengers and the entire crew got off in protest and said they would not fly when the men on the plane. The writer said all of the men were talking in Arabic, speculating that this may have been "a dry run" for a terrorist attack.
The Truth:
This story has taken
a lot of twists and turns.
This rumor turned out to be originally from an email that was sent to friends by a man named Ted Petruna from Houston, Texas. One of the forwarded emails that we received included his email address, and so we contacted him to ask about the story.
Mr. Petruna told us that he sent this to a few friends and that he never intended for it to become so widely distributed. As we looked more thoroughly into the story, some of the details related by Petruna were in conflict with what we were told by AirTran and local media accounts.
Then, in an interview with a Houston television station, Petruna changed some of the story, saying — for example — that he actually did not see the man who he previously had claimed was watching pornography, and that he did not in fact stand behind his description of the attire of the group of foreigners.
Then, on December 4, 2009, AirTran issued a statement saying that they had checked the flight manifest, and that "the individual that allegedly created a first-hand account of events on-board Air Tran Airways flight 297, a Theodore Petruna, was never actually on-board the flight."
According to the report, the flight that Petruna was on from Ohio landed in Atlanta 26 minutes after AirTran 297 left the gate. This caused him to miss his connection, meaning his entire "eyewitness account" is nothing but a fabricated hoax.
AirTran spokesman Christopher White confirmed that an incident did take place on November 17, 2009 aboard AirTran flight 297, which was scheduled to fly from Atlanta to Houston, Texas. White told us that the incident took place far from the way it was described, however; apparently, it was the result of a passenger who was unable to understand and comply with instructions from flight attendants because he did not speak English.
The passenger was part of a group of foreign travelers and did have a translator — but the translator was sitting several rows behind him, according to published reports. White also told us that in no way was the passenger suspected of any terrorist plot or activities and that no TSA agents or police officers boarded the plane when it returned to the terminal.
In December 2009, a Georgia-based newspaper columnist obtained an additional eyewitness account regarding the internet rumors about Petruna's story:
This rumor turned out to be originally from an email that was sent to friends by a man named Ted Petruna from Houston, Texas. One of the forwarded emails that we received included his email address, and so we contacted him to ask about the story.
Mr. Petruna told us that he sent this to a few friends and that he never intended for it to become so widely distributed. As we looked more thoroughly into the story, some of the details related by Petruna were in conflict with what we were told by AirTran and local media accounts.
Then, in an interview with a Houston television station, Petruna changed some of the story, saying — for example — that he actually did not see the man who he previously had claimed was watching pornography, and that he did not in fact stand behind his description of the attire of the group of foreigners.
Then, on December 4, 2009, AirTran issued a statement saying that they had checked the flight manifest, and that "the individual that allegedly created a first-hand account of events on-board Air Tran Airways flight 297, a Theodore Petruna, was never actually on-board the flight."
According to the report, the flight that Petruna was on from Ohio landed in Atlanta 26 minutes after AirTran 297 left the gate. This caused him to miss his connection, meaning his entire "eyewitness account" is nothing but a fabricated hoax.
AirTran spokesman Christopher White confirmed that an incident did take place on November 17, 2009 aboard AirTran flight 297, which was scheduled to fly from Atlanta to Houston, Texas. White told us that the incident took place far from the way it was described, however; apparently, it was the result of a passenger who was unable to understand and comply with instructions from flight attendants because he did not speak English.
The passenger was part of a group of foreign travelers and did have a translator — but the translator was sitting several rows behind him, according to published reports. White also told us that in no way was the passenger suspected of any terrorist plot or activities and that no TSA agents or police officers boarded the plane when it returned to the terminal.
In December 2009, a Georgia-based newspaper columnist obtained an additional eyewitness account regarding the internet rumors about Petruna's story:
Flight 297 to Houston, with
about 70 passengers onboard, departed gate C-16 at 4:43 p.m. Until something
happened that caused the pilot to turn around and come back.
Two and a half weeks later, the incident is in high dispute, thanks to some passengers who have spoken out on the Internet about what they say is a cover-up by AirTran and other transportation officials. This has been heating up since Tuesday, when one passenger's e-mail about the events he saw on the plane went viral, and the saga isn't over yet.
Initial media reports from Nov. 18 [2009] indicate the cause of the plane's turnaround was a single passenger who refused to turn off an electronic device. Some accounts said cell phone, some said video camera, but the bottom line is the flight crew felt something was amiss enough to turn around after they'd left the gate - no small occurrence.
In the now infamous e-mail (AirTran refers to it on their Web site www.inside airtran.com as "Flight 297 - Anatomy of an Urban Legend") a Texas man writes about an orchestrated attempt by a group of 13 men, which he characterizes as Muslim, to intimidate flight attendants and passengers ... The e-mail writer told me today AirTran is lying [in their response to the email's circulation] and he has his boarding pass, but I'm beyond this by now, because I discovered another highly credible eyewitness to the incident was none other than Cobb businessman and security expert Brent C. Brown, CEO of Chesley-Brown International.
Brown, who is also chairman of the Marietta History Museum, confirmed late Saturday that he was on Flight 297 and that there was chaos on the plane. He believes the entire incident was mishandled by AirTran officials, though has kind words for the pilot, who he said, "was dead right" in his decision-making, and is to be commended for turning the plane around.
Seated in the third row in business class, he said it was obvious the suspicious men were interacting with each other and refusing to sit down, grounds for the pilot's decision.
Once back at the gate, however, Brown says there were no law enforcement officials visible (this contradicts the Texan's e-mail) and airline officials weren't talking to the passengers, who were openly upset and refusing to fly.
"The tension on board was incredible," Brown said. The men who came back on board after questioning were belligerent and smirking, and the people who got off, he confirmed, were traumatized.
Two and a half weeks later, the incident is in high dispute, thanks to some passengers who have spoken out on the Internet about what they say is a cover-up by AirTran and other transportation officials. This has been heating up since Tuesday, when one passenger's e-mail about the events he saw on the plane went viral, and the saga isn't over yet.
Initial media reports from Nov. 18 [2009] indicate the cause of the plane's turnaround was a single passenger who refused to turn off an electronic device. Some accounts said cell phone, some said video camera, but the bottom line is the flight crew felt something was amiss enough to turn around after they'd left the gate - no small occurrence.
In the now infamous e-mail (AirTran refers to it on their Web site www.inside airtran.com as "Flight 297 - Anatomy of an Urban Legend") a Texas man writes about an orchestrated attempt by a group of 13 men, which he characterizes as Muslim, to intimidate flight attendants and passengers ... The e-mail writer told me today AirTran is lying [in their response to the email's circulation] and he has his boarding pass, but I'm beyond this by now, because I discovered another highly credible eyewitness to the incident was none other than Cobb businessman and security expert Brent C. Brown, CEO of Chesley-Brown International.
Brown, who is also chairman of the Marietta History Museum, confirmed late Saturday that he was on Flight 297 and that there was chaos on the plane. He believes the entire incident was mishandled by AirTran officials, though has kind words for the pilot, who he said, "was dead right" in his decision-making, and is to be commended for turning the plane around.
Seated in the third row in business class, he said it was obvious the suspicious men were interacting with each other and refusing to sit down, grounds for the pilot's decision.
Once back at the gate, however, Brown says there were no law enforcement officials visible (this contradicts the Texan's e-mail) and airline officials weren't talking to the passengers, who were openly upset and refusing to fly.
"The tension on board was incredible," Brown said. The men who came back on board after questioning were belligerent and smirking, and the people who got off, he confirmed, were traumatized.
The column
referenced a response attributed to the airline (archived), "AirTran 297- Anatomy of an
Urban Legend"
After conducting additional
research into this situation, we have verified, according to flight manifests
(legally binding documents) that the individual that allegedly created a
first-hand account of events on-board AirTran Airways flight 297, a Theodore
Petruna, was never actually on-board the flight.
According to all available records, Mr. Petruna’s trip originated from Akron-Canton, Ohio (CAK) on AirTran flight 205. This flight arrived at the gate in Atlanta at 5:06 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. Flight 297, the flight which Mr. Petruna allegedly wrote a first-hand account of, originally pushed back from its gate in Atlanta at 4:40 p.m. EST, a full 26 minutes before flight 205 arrived at the gate in Atlanta making this flight connection impossible.
While Mr. Petruna was originally scheduled to begin his journey on AirTran flight 202 from CAK and connect to flight 297 in Atlanta he did not make that original flight.
According to all available records, Mr. Petruna’s trip originated from Akron-Canton, Ohio (CAK) on AirTran flight 205. This flight arrived at the gate in Atlanta at 5:06 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. Flight 297, the flight which Mr. Petruna allegedly wrote a first-hand account of, originally pushed back from its gate in Atlanta at 4:40 p.m. EST, a full 26 minutes before flight 205 arrived at the gate in Atlanta making this flight connection impossible.
While Mr. Petruna was originally scheduled to begin his journey on AirTran flight 202 from CAK and connect to flight 297 in Atlanta he did not make that original flight.
The chain of events
that evidently led to the incident was as follows:
A group of twelve non-English speaking passengers and their translator boarded the AirTran flight to Houston in Atlanta. When the plane began to taxi to the runway one of the non-English speakers was spotted by a flight attendant using his cellular phone; his translator was many rows back, so they were unable to tell the caller of the Federal Aviation Administration rules that require all electronic devices to be turned off during takeoff and landing.
Not understanding what the flight attendant was saying, the caller continued his conversation. This resulted in the flight attendant alerting the captain of the jetliner, who decided to return the plane to the terminal.
Once safely at the terminal, the caller and the translator were asked to exit the aircraft and the rest of the non-English speaking group followed. When the mix-up was all sorted out, all members of the group were allowed to return to the aircraft which was still at the terminal. At that time, a small group of other passengers who were waiting on the plane decided that they didn't want to fly on it after all and they disembarked.
The Federal Aviation Administration looked into the incident, but no one was detained and no charges were filed.
AirTran ceased operations in December 2014..
A group of twelve non-English speaking passengers and their translator boarded the AirTran flight to Houston in Atlanta. When the plane began to taxi to the runway one of the non-English speakers was spotted by a flight attendant using his cellular phone; his translator was many rows back, so they were unable to tell the caller of the Federal Aviation Administration rules that require all electronic devices to be turned off during takeoff and landing.
Not understanding what the flight attendant was saying, the caller continued his conversation. This resulted in the flight attendant alerting the captain of the jetliner, who decided to return the plane to the terminal.
Once safely at the terminal, the caller and the translator were asked to exit the aircraft and the rest of the non-English speaking group followed. When the mix-up was all sorted out, all members of the group were allowed to return to the aircraft which was still at the terminal. At that time, a small group of other passengers who were waiting on the plane decided that they didn't want to fly on it after all and they disembarked.
The Federal Aviation Administration looked into the incident, but no one was detained and no charges were filed.
AirTran ceased operations in December 2014..
A real example of the eRumor as it has appeared on the
Internet:
One week ago, I went to Ohio on
business and to see my father. On Tuesday, November the 17th, I returned home.
If you read the papers the 18th you may have seen a blurb where a AirTran
flight was cancelled from Atlanta to Houston due to a man who refused to get off
of his cell phone before takeoff. It was on Fox.
I was in 1st class coming home. 11 Muslim men got on the plane in full attire. 2 sat in 1st class and the rest peppered themselves throughout the plane all the way to the back. As the plane taxied to the runway the stewardesses gave the safety spiel we are all so familiar with. At that time, one of the men got on his cell and called one of his companions in the back and proceeded to talk on the phone in Arabic very loudly and very aggressively. This took the 1st stewardess out of the picture for she repeatedly told the man that cell phones were not permitted at the time.. He ignored her as if she was not there.
The 2nd man who answered the phone did the same and this took out the 2nd stewardess. In the back of the plane at this time, 2 younger Muslims, one in the back, isle, and one in front of him, window, began to show footage of a porno they had taped the night before, and were very loud about it. Now they are only permitted to do this prior to Jihad. If a Muslim man goes into a strip club, he has to view the woman via mirror with his back to her. (don’t ask me. I don’t make the rules, but I’ve studied) The 3rd stewardess informed them that they were not to have electronic devices on at this time. To which one of the men said? shut up infidel dog!? She went to take the camcorder and he began to scream in her face in Arabic. At that exact moment, all 11 of them got up and started to walk the cabin. This is where I had had enough! I got up and started to the back where I heard a voice behind me from another Texan twice my size say I got your back. I grabbed the man who had been on the phone by the arm and said you WILL go sit down or you Will be thrown from this plane! As I led him around me to take his seat, the fellow Texan grabbed him by the back of his neck and his waist and headed out with him. I then grabbed the 2nd man and said, You WILL do the same! He protested but adrenaline was flowing now and he was going to go. As I escorted him forward the plane doors open and 3 TSA agents and 4 police officers entered. Me and my new Texan friend were told to cease and desist for they had this under control. I was happy to oblige actually. There was some commotion in the back, but within moments, all 11 were escorted off the plane. They then unloaded their luggage.
We talked about the occurrence and were in disbelief that it had happen, when suddenly, the door opens again and on walked all 11!! Stone faced, eyes front and robotic (the only way I can describe it). The stewardess from the back had been in tears and when she saw this, she was having NONE of it! Being that I was up front, I heard and saw the whole ordeal. She told the TSA agent there was NO WAY she was staying on the plane with these men. The agent told her they had searched them and were going to go through their luggage with a fine tooth comb and that they were allowed to proceed to Houston. The captain and co-captain came out and told the agent we and our crew will not fly this plane! After a word or two, the entire crew, luggage in tow, left the plane. 5 minutes later, the cabin door opened again and a whole new crew walked on.
Again.. this is where I had had enough!!! I got up and asked What the hell is going on!!?? I was told to take my seat. They were sorry for the delay and I would be home shortly. I said I’m getting off this plane. The stewardess sternly told me that she could not allow me to get off. (now I’m mad!) I said I am a grown man who bought this ticket, who’s time is mine with a family at home and I am going through that door, or I’m going through that door with you under my arm!! But I am going through that door!! And I heard a voice behind me say so am I. Then everyone behind us started to get up and say the same. Within 2 minutes, I was walking off that plane where I was met with more agents who asked me to write a statement. I had 5 hours to kill at this point so why the hell not. Due to the amount of people who got off that flight, it was cancelled. I was supposed to be in Houston at 6pm. I got here at 12:30am.
Look up the date. Flight 297 Atlanta to Houston.
If this wasn’t a dry run, I
don’t know what one is. They wanted to see how TSA would handle it, how the
crew would handle it, and how the passengers would handle it.
I’m telling this to you because
I want you to know.
The threat is real. I saw it
with my own eyes.
Article Sources +
_____________________
AirTran Flight 297 Short Story
John R. Houk
© January 6, 2019
__________________
CANCELLED FLIGHT
christine fisher version
_____________________
‘Hijacking Dry Run’ on AirTran Airways Flight 297?
Made with truth. ©All rights
reserved.
