The Federal Aviation Administration's top official said Thursday a communication gap kept the pilots of Flight 253 from realizing the seriousness of what was happening aboard the plane as it descended over Detroit on Christmas Day.

The flight crew, which had put out a fire in the cabin and detained a 23-year-old Nigerian in the attempted bombing, "reported that they had someone who had attempted to set firecrackers off. So it didn't elevate to anyone -- whether it was the cockpit or air traffic control -- to anything of great seriousness at that point," FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt said at hearings before the House aviation subcommittee.

Babbitt said when it became clear someone had tried to set off an explosive device, the plane was isolated, and "all air carriers in the country" were notified about the situation on Flight 253.

The hearing into the timeline about events surrounding the flight came on the same day the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence learned from FBI officials that suspect Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab is disclosing information about the cleric in Yemen who he says was his teacher. Abdulmutallab also is helping the United States hunt for radical preacher Anwar al-Awlaki, sources told the Associated Press.

And in Detroit, a pretrial conference was set for Abdulmutallab, who is being held in the federal prison in Milan. US District Judge Nancy Edmunds set an April 13 date, but it was not clear whether Abdulmutallab would attend or just his lawyers.

Abdulmutallab faces charges that include attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction and attempted murder. He could be sent to prison for life if convicted.

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