Date:	Thursday 15 March 2001
Time:
Type:	Tupolev Tu-154M
Owner/operator:	Vnukovo Airlines
Registration:	RA-85619
MSN:	86A738
Year of manufacture:	1986
Engine model:	Soloviev D-30KU-154-II
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 174
Aircraft damage:	Unknown
Category:	UI
Location:	Madinah-Mohammad Bin Abdulaziz Airport (MED) -   Saudi Arabia
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Passenger - Non-Scheduled/charter/Air Taxi
Departure airport:	Istanbul-Atatürk International Airport (IST/LTBA)
Destination airport:	Moskva (unknown airport)

Narrative:
Three Chechen hijackers took control of the aircraft. The aircraft was flown to Medina, Saudi Arabia. The next day negotiators succeeded in securing the release of 47 hostages, mainly women and children, and the stewardess who was stabbed during the initial minutes of the hijack. Later that day authorities decided to storm the plane, after the hijackers threatened to blow up the airplane, and demanded it be refuelled for a suspected flight to Afghanistan.
The plane was later renamed "Yulia Fomina" after the stewardess killed by hijackers.

Criminal Acts Against Civil Aviation 2001 / DoT, TSA
People's Daily

Date/time	Contributor	Updates