Narrative:Air New Zealand Flight 24, a Boeing 747, was undergoing a pre-flight check by its crew when an airline customer services supervisor entered the cockpit and threatened the crew with explosives. He demanded the aircraft take on extra fuel and ordered that it be flown to Libya, although other reports suggest he wanted to go to New Zealand. All passengers were released but he held the three flight crew members for nearly six hours while he negotiated with authorities. The hijacker was overpowered and taken into custody after one of the crew struck him on the head with a whiskey bottle. The hijacking attempt was apparently related to a political coup on Fiji one week earlier.
Classification:
Hijack
Sources:
» Criminal Acts Against Civil Aviation 1987 / U.S. Department of Transport, FAA, Office of Civil Aviation Security
»
Gainesville Sun - May 19, 1987
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 Nadi International Airport to Auckland International Airport as the crow flies is 2148 km (1343 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.