LiveATC Discussion Forums
Aviation => Aviation Accidents/Incidents => Topic started by: N/A on February 17, 2014, 12:05:59 AM
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Is it in the air again??
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The New York Times is reporting the plane was hijacked by the co-pilot, an Ethiopian national who flew it to Geneva and requested asylum. According to the Times, while in Italian airspace the co-pilot locked the captain out of the cockpit when he left to use the restroom, declared a low fuel situation but then activated a transponder indicating the plane was being hijacked. Italian fighter jets were scrambled and escorted the plane out of Italian airspace. After landing in Geneva, the co-pilot is said to have opened a cockpit window and lowered himself to the tarmac using a rope, before running towards security officers and stating he was requesting asylum. All 202 crew members and passengers have been released and are safe.
"Officials said passengers were unaware of the hijacking until the plane landed in Switzerland." Really? No one noticed when the plane bypassed Rome and just kept on flying for another 550 miles? And what about the captain? Did he really not say or do anything to try to get back into the cockpit? And, if he did, none of the passengers noticed anything unusual. Like the captain is still in the cabin? It sounds like there's more to this story.
Here is a link to the NYTimes article this morning:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/18/world/europe/hijacked-ethiopian-plane-lands-in-geneva.html?hp&_r=0
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The New York Times is reporting the plane was hijacked by the co-pilot, an Ethiopian national who flew it to Geneva and requested asylum. According to the Times, while in Italian airspace the co-pilot locked the captain out of the cockpit when he left to use the restroom, declared a low fuel situation but then activated a transponder indicating the plane was being hijacked.
FlightRadar24 indicates that the aircraft was squawking 7500 over Sudan.
http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BgqL5C9CQAA6SR8.png#twimg