During this flight on December 22, as it was flying over the Atlantic Ocean, Richard Reid -- an Islamic fundamentalist from the United Kingdom, and alleged Al Qaeda operative -- packed explosives in his shoe and attempted to detonate them to blow a hole in the aircraft. A woman sniffed sulfur and caught him in the act. He bit and injured flight attendants and passengers before they subdued him. The flight was diverted to Boston, Massachusetts's Logan International Airport, where Reid was arrested. He was later convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment.
See Also