DETROIT - An explosive device went off in the lap of a 23-year-old Nigerian man aboard a Northwest Airlines flight sometime before landing in Detroit on Friday in what is being viewed as a possible terrorist attack, a senior U.S. counterterrorism official told NBC News.

The man was subdued by the flight crew of Flight 253 from Amsterdam, the official said. The official said the man left Lagos, Nigeria, on Thursday, then boarded the Northwest flight in Amsterdam Friday.

The Transportation Security Administration issued a statement reading, in part: “All passengers have deplaned and out of an abundance of caution, the plane was moved to a remote area where the plane and all baggage are currently being rescreened. A passenger is in custody, and passengers are being interviewed.”

One passenger from the flight was taken to the University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor, hospital spokeswoman Tracy Justice told the Detroit Free Press. She would not say what the injuries were.

Earlier Friday a Delta Airlines official said the incident began when a passenger set off firecrackers aboard the plane at Detroit Metropolitan Airport, causing a commotion and some minor injuries aboard the Airbus 330 carrying 278 passengers. (Delta and Northwest have merged.)

An FBI spokeswoman in Detroit said the incident was being investigated.

The pilot reportedly declared an emergency due to a smoke indicator alarm.

The flight landed at 12:01 p.m. ET, 21 minutes later than scheduled, according to the Northwest Web site. (Source: MSNBC)

Story Date: December 26, 2009