Hijacking description
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| Status: | |
| Date: | 23 JUL 1999 |
| Time: | 12:16 |
| Type: | Boeing 747-481D |
| Operator: | All Nippon Airways |
| Registration: | JA8966 |
| C/n / msn: | 27442/1066 |
| First flight: | 1995-07-18 (4 years ) |
| Engines: | 4 General Electric CF6-80C2B1F |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 14 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 503 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 517 |
| Airplane damage: | None |
| Location: | near Tokyo (Japan) |
| Phase: | En route (ENR) |
| Nature: | Domestic Scheduled Passenger |
| Departure airport: | Tokyo-Haneda Airport (HND/RJTT), Japan |
| Sapporo-Chitose Airport (CTS/RJCC), Japan | |
| Flightnumber: | 61 |
A male Japanese passenger produced an 8-inch knife, forced his way into the flight deck, and ordered out the First Officer. The hijacker ordered the pilot to fly the plane to the American air base at Yokota. During the flight, the hijacker asked to fly the plane. When his request was refused, the man stabbed the pilot multiple times in the neck and shoulder, severely injuring him, and the plane went into a steep dive. Upon hearing the pilot’s screams, the copilot and others entered the cockpit, subdued the hijacker, and stopped the plane’s descent. The copilot flew the plane back to Haneda Airport and landed less than 90 minutes after having taken off. Although the plane landed safely, the pilot bled to death from his wounds en route. The hijacker was taken into custody.
It is believed that the man hijacked the plane because, in his perception, Haneda Airport officials had failed to heed his warnings about security problems. He had claimed that these problems made Japanese airliners easy prey for hijackers. The hijacker also reportedly told investigators that he hijacked the plane because he wanted to fly a jumbo jet. He boasted of his piloting ability in flight simulation games.
Sources:
» BBC
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.
