On Tuesday night, United Airlines flight 251 out of Washington, D.C. en route to Portland, Oregon was diverted to Chicago's O'Hare after three men were decribed as acting strangely.
Whether or not the three suspects of middle-eastern descent were terrorists is not known. However, according to reports detailing the suspicious behavior of the three men - they were acting like terrorists.
The pilot decided based on the behavior of the group of men, that it was not safe to continue on to Portland and was instructed to land in Chicago where law enforcement met the plane and removed the three men.
The flight did not continue on for security reasons, however, all passengers were connected to other flights to Portland.
Upon arrival in Portland, reporters were present to interview the passengers and hear witness accounts of what exactly took place.
Stacy Niedermeyer and her family witnessed the events aboard the flight. She told a Portland news station that one of the men went to the back of the plane and "sat down on his bottom."
Other passengers added that the man was involved in a physical altercation with a flight attendent after walking to the back of the plane where the flight attendant station was located.
A witness that did no want to be identified said another man began to pace back and forth in the aisles was wearing a backpack. The witness said a "verbal altercation" ensued between the man and a flight attendant.
Several passengers witnessed the men passing notes back and forth and decribed the men as odd or
"very strange."
On Wednesday morning, a United Airlines spokesman would not comment on any of the details aboard the airplane except to say that the men “were not following crew member instructions.”
Chicago police were contacted but claimed officers at O’Hare were not contacted.
In cases in which terrorists activity is suspected, the local police would not likely be involved. FBI would be the lead agency, although other agencies may play a role.
All passengers were rescreened at O'Hare before being transferred to other flights. Passenger Cliff Robinett described the incident as “strange goings on in the back of the plane."
Robinett said no one knew what exactly was going on, "including TSA officials in Chicago"
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