tj winnick from washington. >> reporter: when faisal shahzad was in custody, he almost immediately admitted he drove the suv with explosives into times square saturday. >> i was never in fear we were in danger of losing him. >> reporter: abc news learned he almost got away. first an fbi surveillance team lost track of him on monday. >> i have a message for you to go back to the gate immediately. make the left turn when able. >> reporter: despite being on the federal no fly list, he was arrested late friday night at new york trying to flee the country aboard the flight for dubai. >> clearly he was on the plane and shouldn't have been. >> reporter: he's charged with attempting an act of terror and traveling to the united states to commit an act of terror. >> it was a great team effort. >> reporter: shahzad said he spent more than a month training in with the taliban and they gave him the money to plan the attack. >> they were always having picnics in the backyard, and the wife looked happy. >> reporter: he mysteriously left for pakistan about gaining citizenship about a year ago. officials in

according to abc2 news's tj winnick, the family man from the suburbs turned terror camp trainee told investigators he received bomb making instructions from pakistan. >> reporter: once 30-year-old faisal shahzad was in custody officials say he almost immediately admitted he drove the nissan loaded with explosives into times square last saturday. >> i was never in any fear that we were in danger of losing. >> reporter: the fact is abc news has learned that shahzad almost got away. first an fbi surveillance team actually lost track of him at some point monday. >> actually, i have a message for you to go back to the gate immediately. so make the left turn when able. >> reporter: despite being on a federal no-fly list he was arrested late monday night at jfk in new york trying to flee the country aboard a flight bound for dubai. >> clearly the guy was on the plane and shouldn't have been. >> reporter: the 30-year-old suspect is now charged with attempting an act of terror by using a weapon of mass destruction and traveling to the united states to commit an act of terror. >> this was a gr