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Florida student pilot charged with attempt to steal plane
 [FOX] MELBOURNE, Fla. ‐ A 22-year-old student pilot suspected of boarding a vacant passenger plane at a central Florida airport early Thursday has been charged with criminal attempt to steal an airplane, officials said.The Joint Terrorism Task Force is investigating and trying to determine a motive in the case, according to Orlando-Melbourne International Airport spokeswoman Lori Booker. She told news outlets the student pilot, identified as Florida Institute of Technology student Nishal Sankat, also faces a visa violation and criminal trespassing charges. It wasn't Huffman Aviation flight school in Venice, Florida was it ? Early Thursday, a man drove to the curb outside the airport, left his car running, hopped a fence and boarded an Airbus 321 American Airlines aircraft sitting in a maintenance facility, Booker said. An avionics technician was in the plane's galley when he saw a shadow, Booker said. Hey Bill, I'm going to the back and catch a few Z's. If you see something, say something ok ? "He turned around and said, 'Who are you? Show me your badge," Domino's? Yo Bill, did you order a breakfast pizza ? Booker told news outlets. She said the technician was among airport workers she dubbed heroes. He grabbed the man and, with help from another technician, they got him off the plane. Booker said that while one technician held the man down, the other called Melbourne airport police. The man broke free and ran along the airfield before police took him into custody about two minutes later. You ever try to sprint in a man-dress and sandals ? After the man was arrested, officials conducted a sweep of the airfield before re-opening the airport. All employees and passengers were removed from the terminal during the incident, which caused two flight delays and interrupted airport operations for about five hours. Police searched the student pilot's car with a robotic arm to make sure no explosives were inside, Booker said. The car was then towed from the airport. The airport returned to normal operations after five hours. "Normal airport operations?" WTF is that ? Booker said the student pilot is from Trinidad and entered the United States through Canada. The spokeswoman said he has a Florida driver's license. No worries, he was probably on the 'FBI's radar.' Melbourne is 70 miles (112 kilometers) southeast of Orlando.
Chief Renee Purden of the Melbourne Airport Police Department said detectives are interviewing Sankat about his motivations, but do not believe he has any link to terrorism. The FBI has a keen interest in Sankat's five cell phones. Said they'd be here later this morning to pick them up. Booker said Sankat was born in Trinidad and legally entered the United States through Canada. Posted by: Besoeker 2018-09-21 |
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