Date:	Wednesday 23 December 1987
Time:
Type:	Boeing 737-306
Owner/operator:	KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
Registration:	PH-BDE
MSN:	23541/1309
Year of manufacture:	1986
Engine model:	CFMI CFM56-3B1
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 97
Aircraft damage:	None
Category:	UI
Location:	Roma-Fiumicino Airport (FCO) -   Italy
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Passenger - Scheduled
Departure airport:	Amsterdam-Schiphol International Airport (AMS/EHAM)
Destination airport:	Milano-Linate Airport (LIN/LIML)

Narrative:
KLM Flight 343, a Boeing 737, was hijacked about an hour after leaving Amsterdam en route to Milan with 91 passengers and 6 crew members onboard. The hijacker a 15-year-old boy, claimed to have a bomb in his luggage which could be detonated by a control on his wristwatch. He forced the pilot to land in Rome and demanded $1 million and to be flown to the United States. He allowed about 60 passengers to deplane while he negotiated with authorities. He was eventually overpowered by police when he was apparently lured from the aircraft on the pretence of being driven to another aircraft for a flight to New York. He had no weapon. There were no injuries in the incident.

Criminal Acts Against Civil Aviation 1987 / U.S. Department of Transport, FAA, Office of Civil Aviation Security
Limburgsch dagblad, 24-12-1987

photo (c) Harro Ranter / ASN; Amsterdam-Schiphol International Airport (AMS/EHAM); 24 March 2002

Date/time	Contributor	Updates