Narrative:Shortly after the Ethiopian plane took off from Madrid for Rome, a Yemeni hijacker entered the cockpit waving a pistol and ordered the pilot to fly to Aden. The pilot said that he would need to refuel at Rome, but the flight was not allowed to land there.
A security guard went to the cockpit and killed the hijacker. An accomplice armed with a knife ran forward but he was killed by another security guard before he could reach the cockpit. The airplane landed safely at Athens.
Classification:
Hijack
Photos
Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does
not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Madrid-Barajas Airport to Addis Ababa-Haile Selassie I International Airport as the crow flies is 5409 km (3381 miles).
This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.