Incident Overview
Date: Friday 16 March 1979
Aircraft Type: Boeing 727
Owner/operator: Continental Air Lines
Location: Tucson International Airport, AZ (TUS) –
ÿ United States of America
Phase of Flight: En route
Casualties: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 95
Component Affected: CockpitCockpit
Category: Unlawful Interference
A hijacker hijacked an aircraft shortly after takeoff from Phoenix, demanding $200,000 in small bills and instructing him to go to Cuba. The hijacker utilized a nail file as a weapon and escaped through a cockpit window, prompting a rapid response from security and law enforcement. The hijacker was found mentally incompetent.A hijacker hijacked an aircraft shortly after takeoff from Phoenix, demanding $200,000 in small bills and instructing him to go to Cuba. The hijacker utilized a nail file as a weapon and escaped through a cockpit window, prompting a rapid response from security and law enforcement. The hijacker was found mentally incompetent.
Description
Shortly after leaving Phoenix, holding his hand in a pocket, a hijacker told a stewardness that he had a “cutter” and that he was taking over the aircraft. He demanded $200,000 in small bills and indicated he wanted to go to Cuba. After landing at Tucson the passengers and all but one flight attendant deplaned. The flight crew escaped through a cockpit window. Security officers communicated with the hijacker via notes viewed through a window in the ventral stair door. FBI agents climbed into the aircraft through a cockpit window. The stewardess locked herself in a restroom and the police and FBI apprehended the hijacker. He had only a nail file. The hijacker was found mentally incompetent.
Primary Cause
Hijacking of an aircraft.Hijacking of an aircraft.Share on:
