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London Flight Diverted to Boston Due to Passenger Disturbance; Court Allows Young Cancer Patient to Forgo Chemo

Aired August 16, 2006 - 10:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We've been following this story of this teenager out of Virginia who has Hodgkin's Disease. His family fighting to have the kind of treatment they want.
Carol Lin has more developments on that case -- Carol.

CAROL LIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, they don't want traditional chemotherapy and they're saying that their son actually looks pretty good, and is up and helping them with their kayak business. Well, a social worker took this case to court to force treatment, and there has been some kind of conclusion in this case.

CNN's Joe Johns reporting in from the court in Norfolk. Joe, what do you know?

JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Carol.

Well, actually, it's Accomack, Virginia. This is the case, of course, of 16-year-old Abraham Cherrix. It was always issue of whether he ought to be allowed to get chemotherapy, which is something he doesn't want, or whether he ought to be allowed to have an alternative treatment, which he did want. That alternative treatment is called the Hoxsey Cure, and it's been around decades, in fact, all the way back to the turn of the century, just about. He has Hodgkin's Lymphoma.

A battle with the state that's gone on and on, essentially over whether this was a case of medical neglect. Because his parents were saying he ought to be able to get the alternative treatment. Today, a resolve here in Accomack, Virginia. The resolution is a consent decree that says he can go to a doctor in Mississippi who handles both alternative and non-alternative cures. That doctor actually does the type of treatment that this family is interested in, the Hoxsey Cure. So attorneys here are saying it is a big victory for parents who want to decide the best medical care for their child, even if it is non- traditional -- Carol.

LIN: So, Joe, why -- they live in Virginia. Why Mississippi? Does this doctor have a particular reputation the court is confident in?

JOHNS: Well, the court said it was taking the representations of the lawyers that this doctor was a good compromise, and a good solution. The doctor apparently was found by friends of the family, and introduced to the Cherrix family by these friends. And apparently, his medical reputation and his biography suggests to the court that he is an adequate solution to the problem.

LIN: All right. Joe Johns, thank you very much for bringing us the latest in that case.

So Daryn, it looks like there has been at least a compromise, that the boy will get some form of treatment. It's a question of whether it's going to be herbal or traditional chemotherapy. Apparently this doctor in Mississippi conducts both.

KAGAN: All right. And then I also understand you have word of a diverted flight?

LIN: Yes, we're trying to find out more about this, but according to our affiliate, in particular WCDB -- and we're showing you pictures of a United Airlines flight at Logan Airport, sitting there on the runway. It was diverted during its trip. Apparently, there's a report, according to WCDB, of a disturbance on that flight. We're trying to find out if this flight originated in the U.K. or elsewhere, but we want to work on more details on that. But wanted to bring you these live pictures and an interesting development there at Logan Airport.

KAGAN: Yes. Absolutely. Carol, thank you. Especially with the next story that we're about to look at.

Interesting, indeed, as we follow new developments in the airline terror plot investigation. A key detention hearing is expected next hour in London. Investigators will ask a judge to keep 22 suspects in custody without charges. British metropolitan police say they're still searching for evidence today at 22 locations. In all, 46 locations have been searched.

Travel chaos is easing at airports in Britain. British Airways says it plans to operate 90 percent of its schedule today. The airline still expects to cancel 46 flights from Heathrow to Gatwick.

So how do you counter Islamic extremists? Experts say first find the fuel for the rage that leads to the terrorism.

CNN's Jason Carroll took to the streets of London's Muslim neighborhoods to take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): To get to the source of the anger in London's young Muslim community, we asked an expert who is active in the community. Asghar Bukhari says you need to look outside mainstream mosques to the streets. There, he says, you often hear talk of what he believes is the number one cause fueling extremism among young Muslims here, what the U.S. and Britain are doing in the Middle East. Many Muslims believe it is anti-Islam.

ASGHAR BUKHARI, MUSLIM PUBLIC AFFAIRS CMTE: That foreign policy made our young children, our sons, our daughters radicals. That wasn't our foreign policy. We didn't have any say in that.

CARROLL: Bukhari supports nonviolent change, but not far from where we were talking, a small group gathered.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm quite sick of it, basically, the media...

CARROLL (on camera): What are you sick of?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well blaming Muslims for everything that happens in the world.

CARROLL (voice-over): The most outspoken in the group identified himself only as Abu Jihad (ph). Translated, it means father of the Muslim holy war. It was clear he took the name seriously.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What do you expect us to do? Be quiet and be calm and turn the other cheek? We're not Christians. We're Muslims.

CARROLL (on camera): I thought that Islam teaches...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Peace.

CARROLL: ... peace.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It does, it does.

CARROLL: So help me understand as to why you would support violence.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Islam is peace, but when somebody lays their hands on you, it tells you (INAUDIBLE).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are defending ourselves, as simple as that. We are not being violent.

CARROLL (voice-over): Most of the people who surrounded Abu Jihad were young Muslim men. Bukhari watched and listened, and then he gave us his assessment.

BUKHARI: Really all you got was anger. Well that's -- you've cracked it. If they had been taught how to channel their anger, that guy, if he was of a certain mindset, couldn't teach them anything untoward or violent.

CARROLL: And Bukhari says that points directly to another major problem, a lack of leadership in the community.

BUKHARI: Well that's our failure, our leaders are not at all taking these young kids in and saying OK, you are angry, good. Come on let's sit down, I'm angry too. Let's talk about how we can solve this peacefully.

CARROLL: Bukhari says too many mosque leaders are too old, too conservative and can't reach the younger generations, and he says that unless there are drastic changes in the way the world's major powers deal with Islam, and in the way Muslims deal with each other, it's not likely the anger will disappear anytime soon.

Jason Carroll, CNN, London. (END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: You can catch more of Jason's reports on "PAULA ZAHN NOW," weeknights at 8:00 Eastern, only on CNN.

Let's get more on this diverted flight. We're watching the story as it develops. You can see this United Airlines flight on the runway in Boston, Massachusetts.

Carol Lin has more details for us -- Carol.

LIN: Working the story, and just one out of the Associated Press. This is Flight -- United Flight 923, and it originated out of London's Heathrow Airport. It was heading to Washington, D.C. and was diverted to Logan Airport because of a passenger disturbance.

This is what the Associated Press reporting, that three passengers had some kind of a confrontation with the flight crew, so they diverted this plane to Logan International Airport. State police are taking control of the plane, and that all passengers, some 182 passengers onboard, are being taken off the plane and their carry-on luggage was being checked, according to the Associated Press, who spoke with the airport spokesperson out there.

Now, if you go to the United Airlines Web site, Daryn, you want look for an explanation of what happened to Flight 923, in case you're standing by at Dulles Airport, waiting for loved ones to get off. It says scheduled change due to customer service. So it's a matter of keeping your passengers safe, and making sure that they're going to make it to their destination.

KAGAN: New form of customer service.

LIN: Yes, it sure is.

KAGAN: Absolutely.

LIN: The days of heightened security. But, of course, this flight originating out of London Heathrow.

KAGAN: You know, Carol, our producer, Fran Fifis in our Boston bureau, is on the phone. She might have some more details for us.

Fran, what can you tell us?

FRAN FIFIS, CNN PRODUCER: Daryn, I can tell you that the plane -- the passengers on the plane, all 182 are in customs, going through customs, and they will be reboarded on another flight to their original destination, Dulles.

One female passenger is being questioned by the FBI and TSA. And the plane remains on the tarmac.

More information, I was told, by Massport, that the TSA will be releasing more information later, but as of this time, we know that one female passenger is being questioned by the FBI and the TSA. KAGAN: And did they give you any idea what led to the disturbance or any more details about that?

FIFIS: They described it as a confrontation among three passengers.

KAGAN: Huh.

FIFIS: But that's about it. They won't give us anymore details.

KAGAN: And they didn't say at what point in the flight that took place?

FIFIS: They did not.

KAGAN: You know what I find interesting, Fran -- and this is your neck of the woods here -- that they would divert a flight that would go to Boston. It seems in recent years whenever there's a problem with a flight, they send it -- isn't it to Bangor, Maine, that that's the designated airport?

FIFIS: Bangor is the first airport that you would reach coming from that part of the world. But Boston is better equipped to handle these kinds of emergencies, which is why, for instance, Richard Reed was diverted to Boston instead of Bangor, and you know, others.

KAGAN: And I'd like to welcome or viewers watching around the world on CNN International. We have Carol Lin, and then our producer Fran Fifis is in our Boston bureau.

Fran, if you could wrap up again what we know about this flight as we watch some of the passengers come off this United Airlines flight that was making its way, was supposed to be from London to Washington d.C.?

FIFIS: Well, we were told by Massport that flight 923 from London to Dulles was diverted because of a confrontation amongst three passengers, and as can you see, it's on the tarmac at Logan.

KAGAN: Uh-huh.

FIFIS: One female passenger is being questioned by the FBI and the TSA, and those passengers are going through customs and will be reboarded on another plane to Dulles.

KAGAN: Do we know if this has upset any of the traffic or any of the other flow at Logan?

FIFIS: No other flights have been affected because of this so far.

KAGAN: All right. We'll keep -- yes, Carol, go ahead.

LIN: Just want to update people, Chad Myers working the story also from the CNN Weather Center just handed me this note, that this flight was scheduled to arrive at Dulles International Airport at 11:10 a.m. Obviously that's going to be delayed, but in case anybody's watching up at the airport there, which a lot of people, most people I would say, do, watch CNN, that this is what's happening.

FIFIS: Right. And United flight 923.

LIN: 923, 182 passengers, 12 crew members, some kind of confrontation. And just as our producer said, a female passenger now being questioned.

KAGAN: Right, and let's bring in our Chad Myers -- Chad.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hey, Daryn, I'm just kind of on the site here watching Flight Tracker, and I'm watching the Delta Airlines flight 1914. It's at 200 feet and declining. It's an MD-88 plane, 145 miles per hour. So we're assuming that these flight are still landing. I'm going to keep an eye on this.

It's about a 35, 40-second delay. Obviously security involved, a little small delay. But there it goes, Delta Airlines flight did just land, so it's not really affecting traffic in or out of Boston, although I have not seen too many planes take off from Boston lately. You can see that that plane is right there on the tarmac, right where one of the planes would now be landing on the right runway there.

KAGAN: So a number of stories as they develop. First of all, if you have traffic or flights going in our out of Boston, looks like, except for this plane, things are flowing. But if you have somebody you're expecting on United Flight 923 that left London and was supposed to be landing within the half hour in Washington D.C., then you're in for a surprise, because your people are now in Boston, would be the case.

And as we follow the story from the beginning yet again, as I was saying, this is United flight 923, 182 passengers, 12 crew members onboard, was making its way from London to D.C. when there was some type of disturbance onboard involves, we're hearing, as many as three of the passengers.

The decision made to divert the flight and land it instead in -- here at Boston, and you can see the passengers being unloaded here. They're going through customs, and those that are allowed to go will then be put on another flight, and then head to Washington D.C. A long trip indeed, because it will already taken a number of hours for them to make it across the ocean.

Our Fran Fifis, who's been on the phone from Boston, we're going to let her go and collect more information.

Meanwhile, you can see as the passengers come off, getting some kind of direction about where they're supposed to go.

Carol, I understand you have more information?

LIN: Yes, we have producer Kevin Bohn on the telephone with us.

Kevin, what do you know about this story? KEVIN BOHN, CNN PRODUCER: A federal law enforcement official tells CNN there was no threat to the aircraft. There was no security threat. There was no terrorism involved. This federal law enforcement official tells CNN that somewhere when the flight was heading from London to Dulles, a woman became anxious, she was distraught. This official says she -- this passenger got in a confrontation with two other passengers, and the pilot thought it was best to try to land the plane. The closest airport it was Boston. So the pilot went ahead, landed the plane. This passenger will be taken off, and the plane will be refueled and will then continue to head to Dulles, its original destination.

Again, this federal law enforcement official says no security threat to the aircraft, no terrorism involved in it whatsoever. We don't have any details about why this passenger became distraught. And that's what we're hearing at this moment.

LIN: But, Kevin, are they still searching carry-on luggage? Because that seems to indicate that they might think that there may be an additional threat?

BOHN: Well, this official did not say anything about that. I think any time planes are diverted and especially in the security situation where we're at right now, I think people take precautions to make sure. But, again, this official talking to CNN said there were no security threat, no terrorism nexus whatsoever that they found at this moment. But obviously, in the security precautions we're in right knew, people do take things just to make sure there's nothing else there.

LIN: Do you think Particular attention, though, to flights coming out of Heathrow Airport and the U.K.?

BOHN: Well, obviously, you know, in the last week, although the security threat for passengers planes from London to the U.S. was downgraded several days ago, there obviously is still some concern about any kind of concerns about London planes outbound, and especially because of this incident, I think they will probably be taking some precautions.

But again, the security official saying, no threat, no security threat, because of this incident.

LIN: All right. Good news indeed. Kevin Bohn, thank you so much.

So, Daryn, additional information on the Web site, United Airlines. Quite a quaint description of the situation. It's a "schedule change due to customer service," landing at Boston's Logan International Airport instead of Dulles. Still not sure why they chose Logan. It would have been the same difference if they had landed in Dulles and just stayed on the tarmac, and at least some of the passengers would have been home by now, but a security precaution unfolding as we speak on your air.

MYERS: Hey, Carol, it's Chad. KAGAN: Go ahead, Chad.

MYERS: I just -- I also want to say that now that they have a customs problem at this point in time. They have the plane is on the ground, the people in the United States from a foreign country. So now they have to actually probably go through customs at Boston before they get back on an airplane to get to the Dulles Airport.

KAGAN: That's right. You have to clear customs the first place that you land...

MYERS: Absolutely.

KAGAN: ... in the U.S.

And you know, it in terms of why they picked Boston, we heard Fran Fifis, our producer in Boston, point out that perhaps this airport is better equipped for it. It handled Richard Reid, the shoe bomber, and maybe this is where they're ready to do it. But it does, with Kevin Bohn's reporting, appears that there's a resolution here, that this does not appear to be -- they don't suspect it's any kind of terrorism. A single female passenger who became distraught in the air, and the pilot making a decision, that better to get the plane on the ground and have that passenger attended to. And it would sound like that female passenger is now being questioned by the FBI.

Great inconvenience to the other 181 passengers onboard this plane, but I would guess in this environment, especially on a plane coming out of London, that perhaps these people might be understanding, you take Andy chances and you do what you got to do to make sure everything is safe and get people to their final destination, even if it's not on the timeframe that you had originally planned.

All right. We'll continue to follow the story. It is a story we've been following out of London and Boston, which appears to be resolved. A story that began in London, with a United Flight 923, 182 passengers onboard, 12 crew members.

At some point over the Atlantic, a single female passenger became distraught and became upset and got into it way couple other passengers. The head pilot made the decision to land the plane rather than going all the way to Washington D.C. To land in Boston.

And that is where we see this now, the live picture courtesy of WHDH. All 182 passengers and 12 crew members being offloaded off the plane. They'll probably have to go through customs there, will be reboarded onto the plane and then head to Washington, D.C.

But this does not, according to our CNN reporting, appear to be any kind of terrorism-related event. It appears to be a single passenger who was distraught, and the situation that is, it's resolved.

LIN: Hey, Daryn, just trying to fill out this story a little more. A little more detail here from the wire services. This came in about six minutes ago. And it says here that this flight being diverted, but that two fighter jets actually escorted the aircraft to Logan, that the plane landed at terminal E, and that passengers were asked to deplane so that their bags could be rescanned, and that the aircraft could be checked by security. This according to News Center 5 and bostonchannel.com, which is working on this story.

In fact, this story is so fresh right now, there's not much on the Web, because it's literally unfolding right now. And most of the reporting is coming from the local affiliates on the ground there in Boston.

KAGAN: Right, as we watch it unfold live here on our air. And that's interesting about the fighter jets, but that would be standard procedure in this current environment. That if a pilot asks for help and says that a plane is being unexpectedly diverted, you got to -- you can't take any chances on that.

LIN: Right. The timetable that this Web site is laying out, it says federal security officials said Flight 923, with -- well, this is reporting a total of 194, including the crew onboard, landed safely, obviously, as we're watching these pictures, at about 10:20 a.m., after the captain declared an in-flight emergency following some kind of altercation. So be interesting -- as I'm sure we will -- well, actually I'm not sure, because these passengers have to go through Customs, whether they can -- whether any of the TV crews will be near them to hear their story.

KAGAN: Right. Well, and Carol, what were you saying about the amount of security that that latest wire piece said?

LIN: Two fighter jets?

KAGAN: Well, no, not just that, but how the plane has to be completely checked out.

LIN: Oh, yes.

KAGAN: I mean, these people are not going to get home for a while.

LIN: Oh, no. It's going to be several hours. You take a look at the security on the ground there. In fact, it looks like some of the passengers on the stairway heading down to the tarmac have been stopped. And you can see a whole grouping of officers in a bus there to take passengers over to the terminal. But this plane clearly isolated on this runway here, as they, once again, have to make sure that this passenger is not a security threat, that there's nothing onboard that airplane that's going to a threat to the airport or any of the other passengers. So they're taking, clearly, every precaution that they can to make sure that it is just a distraught passenger and nothing more than that.

KAGAN: And we have heard that this is the only plane that -- and flight -- that's been affected by this diversion, and that Logan International in Boston is still -- still going. Still taking flights and still letting flights go. Chad Myers?

MYERS: Hey, Daryn...

KAGAN: Yes, Chad.

MYERS: You know, I'm just thinking, this is a perfect opportunity for the I-Report. This is exactly what we're thinking about here at CNN. If you have a picture of that fighter jet outside the window and you were on that plane, I mean, wouldn't we love to see that on the air right here?

Here's Flight Explorer right here, and I'll show you there are quite a few planes in miles in trail here. They're all trailing each other. They're all going to come in, they're all going to get into Logan. But we're not in a holding pattern now. All the planes are making the turn and getting in to Logan. These are all the planes heading to Boston. We have obviously seen all the planes headed out. And those are in good shape, too.

KAGAN: OK, very good.

Once again, if you're joining us, we're watching a story that started in London probably about eight or nine hours ago. United Flight 923, 182 passengers, 12 crew members, onboard that United Airlines flight, making its way over the Atlantic, A female passenger -- as we're watching some type of machine move up to the plane -- a female passenger became unruly and emotionally disturbed, got into it with a couple other passengers, and the pilot made the decision to land in Boston instead of going on to Washington, D.C., where Flight 923 was headed.

Given this environment and especially the news that we had out of London in flights coming out of London this week, they took no chances. And it looks like all of those passengers have been off- loaded. They'll have to stay there. They're going to check out the entire plane for security, eventually reload it and then taken to Washington, D.C. A long day, indeed, for the folks onboard United Flight 923.

Carol, anything new you're finding?

LIN: No. I'm looking on the Web, and a lot more of the local affiliates picking up on this story, basically reiterating what we're reporting right here, as people are hearing it first on CNN, that this flight is going to be checked thoroughly. A couple of the local affiliates talking with a Logan International Airport spokesperson, who has been describing the same story that you've been describing on the air.

It first started, interestingly enough, with a confrontation with three passengers. Though they're only questioning one at this point. So initial wire reports sometimes -- you know, you're working with numbers, not necessarily 100 percent accurate -- but hopefully that our American bureau, which deals with a lot our "Security Watch" stories, is also working the story to find out anymore about what this woman may be telling FBI officials as they're questioning her.

KAGAN: Right, and well, apparently, it must have been quite a disturbance, because I, too, am looking at the local affiliate Web sites and one of the affiliates is reporting that, in fact, the woman had to be tied up and held in the back of the plane. So apparently they -- and that's according to WHGH.

LIN: Good grief.

KAGAN: Apparently, weren't ridding around.

LIN: Can you imagine being a passenger on this flight? I mean, people are probably nervous enough as they're flying out of Heathrow. You know, United States Homeland Security has said that there is no guarantee, that they have actually caught everybody that might be involved in this alleged bomb plot out of the U.K. And here you are trying to get back to the United States.

Many of these people probably were even delayed. I know people who are still trying to get back to the States from vacation in Europe, and who got stuck there. And couldn't deal with -- you know, they're traveling with kids. They couldn't deal with, you know, six to eight hours at the international airport, so they just left.

KAGAN: And then you almost get home and then, you've got to say, you've got to be kidding? OK, well, as we've been hearing from Kevin Bohn, it appears this is not a case of an alleged terrorist. It was a woman who became emotionally distraught onboard this flight, United Flight 923. It's now on the ground in Boston. Eventually, the more than 180 passengers will make their way to Washington, D.C.

We'll continue to track this story. You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

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