A Wisconsin man who was aboard Northwest Airlines Flight 253 on Christmas Day says his daughter saw a man videotape the entire flight, including an attempt by a passenger to blow up the aircraft.
Charlie Keepman of Oconomowoc said he and his wife and daughter, Ricki, were aboard the flight from Amsterdam to Detroit Metropolitan Airport as the family returned from Ethiopia with two children they had just adopted.
“This person actually was videotaping it,” said Keepman, adding that several passengers saw the man, who was seated a few rows in front of them aboard the aircraft. Finding him and his videotape was of great interest to FBI officials who questioned passengers following the flight, Keepman said.
Federal officials had no immediate comment.
Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, 23, is charged with attempting to destroy an aircraft and placing a destructive device aboard an aircraft. He allegedly had chemical explosives concealed under his clothing. His attempt to detonate them as the plane approached Detroit created a small fire, but he was restrained by passengers and flight crew, who put out the fire, federal authorities say.
He is being held at the federal prison at Milan pending a detention hearing Jan. 8.
