BREAKING NEWS - Attempted Hijacking of Australian Qantas airliner

Just watching the Channel 10 news in Sydney and this came up in the breaking news.
Apparently some guy tried to hijack the plane using sharpened wooden stakes. 2 flight attendants suffered minor injuries and the plane returned to Melbourne.
That's all I have at the moment.

Whew thank god the plane wasn't highjacked.

A man who tried to force his way into the cockpit of a Qantas jet stabbed two flight attendants before crew and passengers managed to subdue him, federal police said.

The mid-air drama happened shortly after QF1737 left Melbourne for Launceston at 2.50pm (AEST) Thursday, a federal police spokeswoman said.


"We believe a male passenger was attempting to enter the cockpit and was subdued by flight attendants and passengers," a spokeswoman said.

The flight turned around and a man was taken into custody by federal agents after it landed in Melbourne.

Transport Minister John Anderson told reporters the attack was carried out with a sharp wooden implement.

There was no evidence it was an act of terrorism, or premeditated.

Two flight attendants - a man aged in his late 30s and a woman aged in her 20s - were stabbed during the incident.

They have been taken to the Royal Melbourne Hospital in a stable condition with facial lacerations, Metropolitan Ambulance spokesman James Howe said.

Two passengers were also treated by paramedics at the scene for minor injuries.

Qantas would not comment immediately on the incident.

au.news.yahoo.com...

[Edited on 29-5-2003 by mad scientist]

"There was no evidence it was an act of terrorism, or premeditated."

WTF? You have a sharpened wooden implement and it isn't premeditated? People get FACIAL lacerations and it isn't an act of terrorism?

And here we go again with this mysterious construct of
terrorism, the US- WE ARE AT WAR AGAINST TERRORISM!!! But, somebody trying to hijack a Quantas plane with a sharpened wooden object, tries to gain access to the cockpick, stabs people in the face, needs to be subdued- that's not terrorism. So if somebody were to do the exact same thing over the continental united states, would they consider it terrorism?

I believe everything I read, and not a word of it!

Sure it's terrorism!! Any time the control of an aircraft is thretened it should be considered terrorism. Its good to see Aussies won't take that crap either. Hope they gave the SOB a good ass-kicking before landing and truning him over to authorities.

There is a big difference between hijacking an aircraft and terrorism.
If you carjack a vehicle it isn't classed as terrorism is it?

I used to work at a major airport in the UK. You'd be suprised at how many normal people turn into raging nutcases once the wheels leave the tarmac.

Sharpened wooden instruments could mean anything, although I do agree that it sounds as if something which purposely defeated the metal detectors was used. So it seems that there was some sort of pre meditation. Unless they used the wooden or plastic cutlery that has replaced the metal variety since 9/11.

It's also useful to remember that Australia does have a big immigrant problem and often forcibly repatriates people who have no right to be there.

I'd wait for more news on this one before coming to any conclusion.

Qantas - no hijackings ever. No fatal air crashes ever. The flying kangaroo is the safest airline in the world.

We can be sure the person arrested is a random nutter with some major grievances, great that he was caught and thanks due to the people that subdued him, but acting alone he won't have any political purpose in mind at all.

I sure hope he doesn't have an Arabic name. That would incite more "terror" in those Aussies that are xenophobes.

Does Quantas use any version of Air Marshalls? Seems like a very prudent move worldwide for that matter, considering the current state of affairs.

I would point out that El Al has had zero hijackings... but that is because on every flight there are 2 plainclothes agents with microuzis loaded with frangible ammunition. A potential terrorists lifespan could be measured in fractional seconds.

QANTAS = Queensland And Northern Territory Aerial Service (no U). Established 1920.

Actually I think QANTAS anti-terrorism strategy might be limited to handing out fluffy little koalas to children flying for the first time.

I'm never particularly comfortable around armed personnel. They can go postal just like any other disgruntled worker.

I'm never particularly comfortable around armed personnel. They can go postal just like any other disgruntled worker. Posted by Masked Avatar



Ive been shooting for almost 3 decades, and have never gone postal....

Hey, lets go to the range! Its fun, you'll see what its all about!

You go downrange and set up the targets, I'll stay back here and load the guns...

(JK)

DR, wouldn't a duel with wooden sticks be just slightly safer?

This is what the Aussie media (ninemsn.com) have said today. Seems like Greg held firm and did his job, good on him.


A 40-year-old Melbourne man was charged with attempting to hijack a Qantas jet following a mid-air drama in which two flight attendants were stabbed with sharpened wooden stakes.

Australian Federal Police said the man was also charged with two counts of being a person onboard an aircraft engaged in flight committing an act of violence against a member of the aircraft.

The charges were laid under the Crimes (Aviation) Act 1991 and Criminal Codes Act 1995.

The man was remanded in custody and was due to appear in Melbourne Magistrates Court this morning.

The two flight attendants were stabbed and two passengers injured before a man was overpowered aboard the Qantas Boeing 717, flying between Melbourne and Launceston on Thursday afternoon.

An AFP spokeswoman said the charges were laid in the early hours of this morning.

Stories of heroism were surfacing about the 20-minute drama aboard QF1737, which happened around 3pm.

The attacker was tackled by crew and passengers and restrained with plastic ties before being bundled between two seats as the flight returned to Melbourne and made an emergency landing, federal police said.

A 38-year-old male attendant and 25-year-old female attendant were released from hospital last night after receiving gashes to the head and face during the struggle to subdue the attacker.

Witness Keith Charlton said the assailant, who was holding aloft two sharpened wooden stakes, stabbed the chief flight attendant "Greg".

"The fellow Greg, really was a hero ... if it wasn't for him we could've been in a lot of trouble.

"As he was being attacked, he put his head down and into the man's chest and he pushed him back down the plane," Mr Charlton said.

DR, wouldn't a duel with wooden sticks be just slightly safer? Posted by Masked Avatar

Ummm No.

I would say that these people just got lucky that it was only one attempted hijacker, and were able to outnumber him. On all of the 911 flights, there were at least 4 terrorists, highly trained in H2H (hand to hand for the civilians) combat with edged weapons.

I believe that in each aircraft the terrorists killed a flight attendant by slitting his/her throat to make it obvious they were serious.

Edged weapon combat is NOT a pretty thing, especially when you have a true professional against someone off the street. It usually ends badly for the novice in a lot of bloodshed.

However, no matter how skilled at H2H, if you are 10 meters away from a competent opponent armed with a firearm, you are dead.

US airmarshalls are armed with handguns, loaded with frangible projectiles (they do horrendous damage to the target individual, but do not penetrate the aircraft) and at least originally were supposed to be some of the best marksmen in the world, able to take a terrorist with a hostage with a headshot at 10+ meters.

The future aim for US airlines is to have 2 armed air marshalls on each and every US passenger aircraft. And, when you sit in your seat and wonder if the guy next to you is an airmarshall, you will never know if he has a gun on him or not.

For me personally? I am a bit more combat adept than the average guy on the street, but I admit I still get nervous going open handed against someone with an edged weapon. I would hope, given the circumstances, I could stop the guy, but I couldnt guarantee it, especially if he was ex special forces or something. I would feel FAR more comfortable with a Colt 1911A1 at hand for such emergencies.

The releases I read had two six-inch (15cm) long sharpened wooden "stakes" (be fair: a pencil would fit that description): X-Rayproof, I guess.
Sounds "premeditated" and distinctly unthreatening.
Happily, Howard was blathering on about Al-Qaida at teh time.

Originally posted by dragonrider
Does Quantas use any version of Air Marshalls? Seems like a very prudent move worldwide for that matter, considering the current state of affairs.

I would point out that El Al has had zero hijackings... but that is because on every flight there are 2 plainclothes agents with microuzis loaded with frangible ammunition. A potential terrorists lifespan could be measured in fractional seconds.

I remeber seeing on the tv some months ago, Australian air marshalls being trained. However there aren't enough of them to be on every domestic flight. There was also some deal signed with Singapore allowing our air marshalls to fly on Singapore bound planes.

I dont know how many of you from Australia but I am. Just making sure you know that this was done by a normal white guy with no middle eastern connections. He just lost it and kinda went bonkers.

Correct. And monitoring of all domestic flights is unfeasible. Although chances are slim, it's possible for one to use rural/semi-rural airports to get to a city like Sydney. There's very little that can be done.