Incident Overview
Date: Saturday 9 August 1997
Aircraft Type: Boeing 727
Owner/operator: Air Gabon
Location: Franceville/Mvengue Airport (MVB) –
ÿ Gabon
Phase of Flight: En route
Casualties: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 100
Component Affected: Boeing 727 aircraftBoeing 727 aircraft
Category: Unlawful Interference
A Boeing 727 aircraft en route from Gabon to Rwanda was hijacked by refugees seeking repatriation to Rwanda. The aircraft was forcibly diverted to South Africa by the refugees, resulting in a tense and ultimately resolved situation where the pilot escaped through a window.A Boeing 727 aircraft en route from Gabon to Rwanda was hijacked by refugees seeking repatriation to Rwanda. The aircraft was forcibly diverted to South Africa by the refugees, resulting in a tense and ultimately resolved situation where the pilot escaped through a window.
Description
A Boeing 727 aircraft en route from Franceville, Gabon, to Kigali, Rwanda, was hijacked by refugees who were being repatriated to Rwanda. More than 100 refugees were aboard the chartered Gabonese aircraft. Twenty minutes into the flight, the refugees attacked the pilot and demanded to fly to South Africa. The pilot managed to maneuver the aircraft back to the Franceville airport. Upon landing, the plane was surrounded and seized by Gabonese soldiers while the pilot escaped through a window.
Primary Cause
Refugee repatriation and forced flight request.Refugee repatriation and forced flight request.Share on:
