Mr Petruna's story is bogus. AirTran has determined that the purported hero of flight 297 was not even on the plane, the Journal-Constitution reported on Saturday. Flight manifests prove that Mr Petruna was on a plane that arrived in Atlanta a full 26 minutes after flight 297 pushed back from the gate. Here's part of AirTran's statement, via the AJC:
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. The AJC spoke with Nancy Deveikis, a woman who actually was on the plane and sat directly behind the non-compliant passenger. Ms Deveikis says the other passenger was looking at pictures on a camera but spoke Spanish and did not understand crew members' requests to turn the camera off. On Apr 18, 10:29 am, Keith In Tampa <[email protected]> wrote: > I don't think this story is true. > > > > > > > > On Thu, Apr 18, 2013 at 11:27 AM, Travis <[email protected]> wrote: > > > **** > > > ** ** > > > **** > > > * FLYING WITH 11 MUSLIMS! ( A First hand account)***** > > > **** > > > **** > > > And to think that Fox News was the only channel that**** > > > reported this. They may be "politically incorrect", but at least**** > > > they had the "balls" to report it. **** > > > **** > > > In my opinion, Muslims are all getting very brave now. Read**** > > > Tedd Petruna's story below. Our own news media**** > > > now are so politically correct they are afraid to report**** > > > that these were all Muslims?**** > > > **** > > > Thank God for people like Tedd Petruna, 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**** > > > **** > > > *********************************************** > > > I suggest 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!**** > > > **** > > > ** ** > > > -- > > -- > > Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. > > For options & help seehttp://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum > > > * Visit our other community athttp://www.PoliticalForum.com/ > > * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. > > * Read the latest breaking news, and more. > > > --- > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > > "PoliticalForum" group. > > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > > email to [email protected]. > > For more options, visithttps://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. -- -- Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. * Read the latest breaking news, and more. --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "PoliticalForum" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
