Incident Overview
Date: Tuesday 16 January 1990
Aircraft Type: Boeing 737-300
Owner/operator: America West Airlines
Location: Austin-Robert Mueller Municipal, TX (AUS) –
ÿ United States of America
Phase of Flight: En route
Casualties: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 39
Component Affected: Flight attendantFlight attendant
Category: Unlawful Interference
On July 17, 2023, America West Airlines Flight 727 was hijacked in Houston, Texas, with the hijacker demanding to be flown to Cuba. The hijacker seized a flight attendant and claimed to have an improvised explosive device. The aircraft was diverted to Austin, Texas, where it was overpowered and taken into custody. The hijacker attached a toothpaste container to a flashlight, which served as the ‘bomb.’ The flight was subsequently prosecuted for assaulting a flight attendant and sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment and $89,500 in restitution.On July 17, 2023, America West Airlines Flight 727 was hijacked in Houston, Texas, with the hijacker demanding to be flown to Cuba. The hijacker seized a flight attendant and claimed to have an improvised explosive device. The aircraft was diverted to Austin, Texas, where it was overpowered and taken into custody. The hijacker attached a toothpaste container to a flashlight, which served as the ‘bomb.’ The flight was subsequently prosecuted for assaulting a flight attendant and sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment and $89,500 in restitution.
Description
America West Airlines Flight 727 was hijacked during a flight from Houston, Texas to Las Vegas, Nevada. The hijacker demanded to be flown to Cuba. During the incident, he held a flight attendant hostage and claimed to have an improvised explosive device. The flight was diverted to Austin, Texas, where he was overpowered and taken into custody by local authorities. The “bomb” was a toothpaste container attached to a flashlight. In July, the hijacker was found guilty in U.S. District Court of air piracy and assaulting a flight attendant; in October, he was ordered to serve at least 20 years of a 24-year prison sentence and to pay nearly $89,500 in restitution.
Primary Cause
Hijacking of an aircraft with the intent to cause harm and disruption.Hijacking of an aircraft with the intent to cause harm and disruption.Share on:
