Incident

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Incident

Woman attacks pilots, charged with hijacking

08 February 2008 08:31 (UTC +04:00)

The woman, originally from Somalia, was to appear in court on Saturday to face charges of hijacking and wounding with intent. Hijacking carries a maximum sentence in New Zealand of life imprisonment.
The mid-air drama, which prompted pilots to send a mayday call, unfolded aboard a 19-seat Jetstream J32 operated by Air National for Air New Zealand, which was travelling from the provincial town of Blenheim to Christchurch.
The woman, a Blenheim resident whose name was not released, attacked the pilots and claimed there were bombs aboard the aircraft, police said.
The wounded pilots managed to force the woman out of the cockpit and she was taken into police custody when the plane landed in Christchurch at about 8:00 am (1900 GMT Thursday), 20 minutes after the pilots sent their distress call.
"During the flight, demands were allegedly made by the suspect to take the flight to Australia," Christchurch police commander Superintendent Dave Cliff said.
"There were also threats made around the safety of the passengers. Also there were claims made that there were bombs on board the flight."
One pilot received a cut to his hand and the other was wounded in the foot, police inspector Kieren Kortegast said. Both were taken to hospital for treatment.
The other six passengers on board -- four New Zealanders, an Australian and an Indian national -- were evacuated safely. One suffered a minor hand injury in the incident, Cliff said.
Flights to and from Christchurch, the main city on New Zealandâ€™s South Island, were suspended for more than two hours while the aircraft was searched.
Police said two knives were recovered from the plane but no explosives were found on board. Initial media reports said a bomb squad dispatched to the scene had defused a suspicious device.
Wayne Johnstone, a passenger on board another flight to Invercargill, said he was asked to disembark as police surrounded the plane in Christchurch, The Press website reported.
Johnstone said he then saw a sniper take up position as police rushed onto the Jetstream.
"I saw a dog go in, the passengers came out in a rush, then the woman came out, bundled to the ground and searched by police and taken away," he added.
In a statement released soon after the drama, Air New Zealand said it would review its security systems.
"Todayâ€™s incident, although a one-off, has naturally given us cause to conduct a thorough review of our safety and security systems and processes on regional domestic flights," said Bruce Parton, general manager for short-haul airlines.
Passengers taking domestic flights out of Blenheim airport are not subject to security checks, and hand luggage is not scanned.
Marlborough District Council support services manager Dean Heiford, responsible for Blenheim airport, said security measures were dictated by the size of the aircraft and the length of the flight, as on all domestic flights.
He added that security measures were decided by the countryâ€™s Civil Aviation Authority and the airlines themselves, not airport management.
The Airline Pilots Association said it was satisfied with security.
"We have a high confidence in the Aviation Security Service that they will take appropriate action if action needs to be taken," association spokesman Paul Lyons said.
/APA/