Incident Overview

Date: Tuesday 7 January 1997
Aircraft Type: McDonnell Douglas DC-9-87 (MD-87)
Owner/operator: Austrian Airlines
Location: Berlin-Tegel Airport (TXL) – ÿ Germany
Phase of Flight: En route
Casualties: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 33
Component Affected: Aircraft cockpitAircraft cockpit
Category: Unlawful Interference
A Bosnian male refugee hijacked Austrian Airlines flight OS 104 en route to Vienna. The hijacker gained access to the cockpit while carrying a wooden baton and a small knife with a nine centimeter blade. He concealed the knife in his jacket prior to boarding the aircraft. He demanded that the pilot return the aircraft to Berlin. The plane landed safely at Berlin’s Tegel Airport and was moved to an isolated area. Local authorities communicated with the hijacker in the front of the plane, while German police entered the plane from the rear, overpowered him, and placed him under arrest. There were no injuries to passengers or crew members. Airport security personnel confirmed the knife was small enough under airline regulations to be allowed aboard the aircraft. The hijacker was tried, convicted, and sentenced to seven years in prison.A Bosnian male refugee hijacked Austrian Airlines flight OS 104 en route to Vienna. The hijacker gained access to the cockpit while carrying a wooden baton and a small knife with a nine centimeter blade. He concealed the knife in his jacket prior to boarding the aircraft. He demanded that the pilot return the aircraft to Berlin. The plane landed safely at Berlin’s Tegel Airport and was moved to an isolated area. Local authorities communicated with the hijacker in the front of the plane, while German police entered the plane from the rear, overpowered him, and placed him under arrest. There were no injuries to passengers or crew members. Airport security personnel confirmed the knife was small enough under airline regulations to be allowed aboard the aircraft. The hijacker was tried, convicted, and sentenced to seven years in prison.

Description

A Bosnian male refugee hijacked Austrian Airlines flight OS 104 en route to Vienna. The hijacker gained access to the cockpit while carrying a wooden baton and a small knife with a nine centimeter (3 1/2 inch) blade. He reportedly concealed the knife in his jacket prior to boarding the aircraft. The hijacker was apparently motivated by the fact that his German visa was to expire the following week, and he reportedly feared repatriation in Bosnia. He demanded that the pilot return the aircraft to Berlin. The plane landed safely at Berlin’s Tegel Airport and was moved to an isolated area. While local authorities communicated with the hijacker in the front of the plane, German police entered the plane from the rear. They overpowered the hijacker, who was intoxicated, and placed him under arrest. There were no injuries to passengers or crew members. According to airport security personnel, the knife used by the hijacker was small enough under airline regulations to be allowed aboard the aircraft. On July 25, the hijacker was tried, convicted, and sentenced to seven years in prison.

Primary Cause

Hijacking of an aircraftHijacking of an aircraft

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