Kip Powick Posted February 16, 2007 Share Posted February 16, 2007 MADRID, Spain — Passengers overpowered an armed man who hijacked a Mauritanian plane and took it to Spain's Canary Islands, a Spanish Interior Ministry official said. Carolina Darias said the man was arrested when police boarded the Air Mauritania 737 shortly after the aircraft landed Thursday at Gando military base, outside Las Palmas city's international airport on Gran Canaria island. Of the 71 passengers — mostly Spaniards and Mauritanians — 21 were treated for slight injuries, a Las Palmas police spokesman said. The most serious was a pregnant woman was treated for severe shock. Police said the man had been carrying two loaded handguns. So much for airport security Mauritanian police said the hijacker's motive was not terrorism. Mohamed Ould Mohamed Cheikh, Mauritania's top police official, said the hijacker was a Moroccan from Western Sahara and wanted to immigrate to France. The man had tried many times to obtain a French visa at that country's embassy in the Mauritanian capital, Nouakchott, where he had lived for a few months, said Mohamed. The hijacker's identity wasn't given. The Boeing 737, with eight crew, was hijacked after leaving the Mauritanian capital, Nouakchott at 4:30 p.m. It was bound for a stopover at Nouadhibou in the north of the West African country before flying to Las Palmas. Air Mauritania director Mohamed Ould Aoufa said the hijacker demanded to go to France but after the crew refused because of a lack of fuel the plane turned toward the Spanish islands. Aoufa said the crew was involved in overpowering the hijacker. When it landed at Gando military airport shortly after 7 p.m., the plane was immediately surrounded by paramilitary Civil Guard police. The ordeal ended minutes later. Moroccan authorities refused the hijacker's request to land in Moroccan territory, the North African kingdom's MAP news agency said. A spokesman for Morocco's Interior Ministry said he was not aware of the hijacking. Some news reports said the plane refueled in Dakhla, in Western Sahara. But Dakhla airport station chief Mohamed Kadri said the plane did not land there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Critter Posted February 16, 2007 Share Posted February 16, 2007 Pretty bold for passengers to take on an armed man. Good on 'em. Just goes to show that hijacking an aircraft today could result in bodily harm for the hijacker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.O. Posted February 16, 2007 Share Posted February 16, 2007 Apparently the hijacker was not strapped in when they landed at Tenerife. The Captain knew this, and he "planted it" firmly on the runway and applied heavy braking, knocking the hijacker to the floor. That was when some pax jumped on him. He fired a couple of shots, but they did not hit anyone. Nice work all around (except of course for the security system that let him through). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lakelad Posted February 16, 2007 Share Posted February 16, 2007 Pilot Foiled Hijacker with Boiling Water, Quick Thinking Friday, February 16, 2007 | 2:08 PM ET CBC News A quick-thinking pilot on a passenger plane subdued a hijacker on Thursday with the help of passengers and flight crew, boiling water and a plan worked out in French. A Spanish official said Friday the pilot braked hard when he landed the aircraft, then started speeding to force the man to fall over. Flight attendants tossed boiling water in his face and 10 passengers jumped on him. Before the drama unfolded, the pilot told passengers in French over the address system about his plan. He realized, after talking to the hijacker, that the man did not speak the language, even though he had wanted the plane to fly to France so he could request political asylum. Hijacker in Hot Water Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitch Cronin Posted February 16, 2007 Share Posted February 16, 2007 ....the hijacker is beginning to sound like one of those Darwin award contestants... unless he's a Newf, is he? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
conehead Posted February 16, 2007 Share Posted February 16, 2007 ... unless he's a Newf, is he? Ohhhhhh... you're gonna get it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.O. Posted February 16, 2007 Share Posted February 16, 2007 ....the hijacker is beginning to sound like one of those Darwin award contestants... unless he's a Newf, is he? Careful with that axe, Eugene! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.