The Times Square car bomber managed to board an aircraft on its way to the Arab Emirates–despite being on the no fly list–but authorities boarded the plane just before it took off and nabbed him. The American citizen born in Pakistan, Faisal Shahzad, admitted everything, including training as a terrorist in Pakistan.
As federal agents closed in, Faisal Shahzad was aboard Emirates Flight 202. He reserved a ticket on the way to John F. Kennedy International Airport, paid cash on arrival and walked through security without being stopped. By the time Customs and Border Protection officials spotted Shahzad’s name on the passenger list and recognized him as the bombing suspect they were looking for, he was in his seat and the plane was preparing to leave the gate.
But it didn’t. At the last minute, the pilot was notified, the jetliner’s door was opened and Shahzad was taken into custody.