Narrative:Two men hijacked China East Airlines Flight 5513 shortly after it took off from Shanghai on a domestic flight to Hangzhou. One man got up and threatened to blow up the aircraft unless he was flown to Taiwan. Meanwhile, the other hijacker watched the passengers in order to prevent any attempt to stop the hijacking. Instead of flying to Taiwan, however, the aircraft was flown to Hanzhou's Jianqiao Airport. The two hijackers were arrested after leaving the plane, thinking they were in Taiwan. On March 11, one hijacker was sentenced to life in prison, while his accomplice was sentenced to ten years.
Classification:
Hijack
Sources:
» Criminal Acts Against Civil Aviation 1994 / U.S. Department of Transport, FAA, Office of Civil Aviation Security
Photos
Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does
not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Shanghai-Hongqiao Airport to Hangzhou Jianqiao Airport as the crow flies is 141 km (88 miles).
This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.