Incident Overview

Description
Philippine Airlines flight 812, an Airbus A330 aircraft with 284 passengers and 14 crew members, was hijacked during a domestic flight. The plane was en route from Davao International Airport to Manilas Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Approximately one hour into the flight, a passenger got out of his seat and went into one of the aircrafts restrooms. He emerged armed with a .22 caliber handgun and what was later determined to be a fake hand grenade. While on his way to the cockpit, the passenger encountered a flight attendant, pulled out the handgun, and said that he was hijacking the plane. He subsequently fired a single shot toward the cockpit door, although it is believed this was done accidentally. The hijacker then ordered the flight attendant to ask the pilot to open the door. Once inside the cockpit, the man threatened to blow up the aircraft if his demands were not met. The hijacker insisted that the plane return to Davao but was told that there was not enough fuel. The man then collected money from the passengers and crew and demanded that the rear door be opened so that he could jump out using a homemade parachute. After the cabin was depressurized, a flight attendant opened the left rear door and the hijacker jumped out. The crew continued the flight on to Manila, where the plane landed safely. There were no injuries to the passengers or crew members. The hijacker was killed in his jump from an altitude of 6,000 feet because the parachute apparently malfunctioned. His body was discovered embedded in the ground about 15 kilometers east of Manila; the parachute was found about a kilometer from the body.
Primary Cause
HijackingHijackingShare on: