We hear it all the time. Flying is safer than driving a car. For some people, it is hard to believe, considering planes defy gravity by spending hours at 30,000 feet in the air. The Boeing 747 has four engines, but it is capable of landing with just one in the unlikely event of the three other engines failing.
With that in mind, how safe are airplanes? While they are the safest way for traveling, sometimes, they can be susceptible to outside factors. And by that, we mean terrorist attacks.
On Christmas Day 2009, a 23-year old man left the airplane toilet as the Northwest Airlines Flight 253 began its descent towards Detroit. He then returned to his seat, pulled a blanket across his lap, and attempted to detonate a device containing military grade explosive PETN.
This documentary shows how he managed to slip under the US intelligence radar, and evaded three sets of airport security. Luckily, he didn’t not detonate the bomb successfully.
