Narrative:A Boeing 727 aircraft en route from Franceville, Gabon, to Kigali, Rwanda, was hijacked by refugees who were being repatriated to Rwanda. More than 100 refugees were aboard the chartered Gabonese aircraft. Twenty minutes into the flight, the refugees attacked the pilot and demanded to fly to South Africa. The pilot managed to maneuver the aircraft back to the Franceville airport. Upon landing, the plane was surrounded and seized by Gabonese soldiers while the pilot escaped through a window.
Classification:
Hijack
Sources:
» Criminal Acts Against Civil Aviation 1997 / FAA, Office of Civil Aviation Security
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 Franceville/Mvengue Airport to Kigali-Gregoire Kayibanda Airport as the crow flies is 1848 km (1155 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.