Incident Overview

Date: Tuesday 30 December 1952
Aircraft Type: Douglas DC-3
Owner/operator: Philippine Air Lines
Registration Number: PI-C38
Location: Chinmen Island – ÿ Taiwan
Phase of Flight: En route
Status: Substantial, repaired
Casualties: Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 10
Component Affected: DC-3 aircraftDC-3 aircraft
Category: Unlawful Interference
On takeoff from Laoag, an armed man forcibly entered the cockpit of a DC-3 aircraft. He demanded the plane be taken to Amoy, China, and subsequently shot and killed the captain. The co-pilot took control, and the steward investigated. The hijacker shot the co-pilot, killing him, while the co-pilot initiated a course change to China and continued flying over the China Sea. Two Nationalist planes pursued the DC-3, engaging in machine gun fire, and the pilot escaped, leading to a landing at Quemoy.On takeoff from Laoag, an armed man forcibly entered the cockpit of a DC-3 aircraft. He demanded the plane be taken to Amoy, China, and subsequently shot and killed the captain. The co-pilot took control, and the steward investigated. The hijacker shot the co-pilot, killing him, while the co-pilot initiated a course change to China and continued flying over the China Sea. Two Nationalist planes pursued the DC-3, engaging in machine gun fire, and the pilot escaped, leading to a landing at Quemoy.

Description

After takeoff from Laoag an armed man forced his way into the cockpit. He pulled .45-caliber pistol and demanded that the plane be brought to Amoy, in mainland China. The captain took over control from the co-pilot and put the plane into a steep dive. The hijacker did not lose his balance and instead shot and killed the captain. The co-pilot took over control and meanwhile the steward had come up to the cockpit to find out what was going on. As he knocked, the hijacker shot him twice through the cockpit door, killing him. The co-pilot changed course to China and continued at 6000 feet over the China Sea until two Chinese Nationalists T-6 Harvard planes showed up. Both planes chased the DC-3 and sprayed machine gun fire. The pilot managed to escape until he met with other Nationalist planes, who forced the flight to land at Quemoy. At Quemoy the hijacker was arrested.

Primary Cause

Hijacking and subsequent pursuit by Nationalist planes.Hijacking and subsequent pursuit by Nationalist planes.

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