Incident Overview
Date: Sunday 7 August 1994
Aircraft Type: Boeing 737
Owner/operator: COPA Panama – Compa¤¡a Paname¤a de Aviaci¢n
Location: Managua-Augusto C. Sandino Airport (MGA) –
ÿ Nicaragua
Phase of Flight: En route
Casualties: Fatalities: / Occupants:
Component Affected: Boeing 737 aircraftBoeing 737 aircraft
Category: Unlawful Interference
A Salvadoran man hijacked a COPA Boeing 737 aircraft from Guatemala City to Panama City via Nicaragua, demanding to be flown to Mexico. The pilot refused to accept the fuel situation and landed the aircraft in Managua. Upon arrival, the hijacker released all passengers, and Nicaraguan law enforcement officers apprehended him. He claimed to be a former Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front guerrilla seeking political asylum.A Salvadoran man hijacked a COPA Boeing 737 aircraft from Guatemala City to Panama City via Nicaragua, demanding to be flown to Mexico. The pilot refused to accept the fuel situation and landed the aircraft in Managua. Upon arrival, the hijacker released all passengers, and Nicaraguan law enforcement officers apprehended him. He claimed to be a former Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front guerrilla seeking political asylum.
Description
A Salvadoran man claiming to have an explosive device around his waist hijacked a COPA Boeing 737 aircraft. Flight 317 was en route to Panama City, Panama, from Guatemala City, Guatemala, via Managua, Nicaragua. The hijacker demanded to be flown to Mexico, but the pilot convinced him that the plane did not have sufficient fuel and landed the aircraft in Managua. Upon arrival, the hijacker released all 78 passengers. Nicaraguan law enforcement officers dressed in COPA uniforms boarded the aircraft and arrested the hijacker. No weapons or explosives were found. The hijacker allegedly was a former Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front guerrilla seeking political asylum.
Primary Cause
Hijacking of an aircraft by a former guerrilla seeking political asylum.Hijacking of an aircraft by a former guerrilla seeking political asylum.Share on:
