MoD Information

Attempted hijack of El Al flight

Mon, November 18, 2002

Source: Ananova

Passengers on board an El Al flight from Israel to Turkey have told of the events leading up to an attempted hijack by a man with a penknife.

Passengers tell of attempted El Al flight hijack

Security guards on the plane overpowered the suspected hijacker who tried to storm into the cockpit.  None of the 170 passengers on board the Boeing 757 were harmed and the plane landed safely at Istanbul's Ataturk International Airport. 

The Anatolia news agency identified the suspect as 23-year-old Israeli Arab, Tawfiq Fukra.  Passenger Viv Gulmez said the man was sitting just in front of her and he looked suspicious. He was going to toilet very often, and once he made a telephone call from the plane," Ms Gulmez told CNN-Turk television.  "I did not hear what he was speaking, but I heard him telling the passenger next to him that he called a friend to say he was going to Istanbul."

Israeli tourist Nehama Snelzo said flight attendants made an announcement after the incident and tried to calm down everyone.  "In the announcement they said the man threatened one of the stewardess with a knife. They told us not to get scared, to sit down, not to get up and be calm." 

Passengers said the man first threatened a flight attendant with a knife and then kicked the door of the cockpit but the door was locked. They said he was quickly overpowered by security guards posing as a passengers.