Last updated: 24 June 2021
| Status: | - (No safety board investigation) |
| Date: | Friday 25 December 2009 |
| Time: | ca 11:30 |
| Type: |  Airbus A330-323X |
| Operator: | Northwest Airlines |
| Registration: | N820NW |
| MSN: | 859 |
| First flight: | 2007-08-01 (2 years 5 months) |
| Engines: | 2 Pratt & Whitney PW4168A |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 11 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 278 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 289 |
| Aircraft damage: | None |
| Location: | near Detroit-Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, MI (DTW) ( United States of America)
|
| Phase: | Approach (APR) |
| Nature: | International Scheduled Passenger |
| Departure airport: | Amsterdam-Schiphol International Airport (AMS/EHAM), Netherlands |
| Detroit-Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, MI (DTW/KDTW), United States of America | |
| Flightnumber: | 253 |
An Airbus A330-323X passenger jet, registered N820NW, was involved in a failed attempt to blow-up the aircraft. Northwest Airlines flight NW253 from Amsterdam-Schiphol International Airport (AMS/EHAM) was approaching the destination Detroit-Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, MI (DTW/KDTW) when a passenger attempted to ignite some kind of incendiary device. The man, a 23 year old Nigerian national, had explosive powder taped to his leg and used a syringe of chemicals to mix with the powder that was to cause an explosion. A small fire erupted, but this was put out using a fire extinguisher.
The passenger was immediately subdued. He was arrested by authorities after safely landing at Detroit.
Classification:
SabotageSources:
» Detroit airliner incident 'was failed bomb attack' (BBC News, 26-12-2009)Photos
Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Amsterdam-Schiphol International Airport to Detroit-Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, MI as the crow flies is 6277 km (3923 miles).
Accident location: Global; accuracy within tens or hundreds of kilometers.
Distance from Amsterdam-Schiphol International Airport to Detroit-Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, MI as the crow flies is 6277 km (3923 miles).
Accident location: Global; accuracy within tens or hundreds of kilometers.
This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
