Narrative:As a Royal Jordanian flight bound from Sanaa, Yemen, was about to land in Amman, Jordan, an Iraqi national passed a note to the pilot through a flight attendant. The man indicated in the note that he had been ordered to hijack the plane and kill the pilot. He stated that he was carrying an explosive device but was unwilling to carry out his "mission" because he did not want "to harm Jordan or its reputation." He also said that he wanted to meet with reporters and U.N. representatives in order to identify those who had tasked him. After the plane, an Airbus A310 aircraft with 199 passengers, landed, the hijacker surrendered to authorities who determined that the explosive device he was carrying was fake. Upon further investigation, it was determined that the man had acted alone and probably made up his story to seek asylum in Jordan.
Classification:
Hijack
Sources:
» Criminal Acts Against Civil Aviation 2000 / 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 Sana'a International Airport to Amman-Queen Alia International Airport as the crow flies is 1978 km (1237 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.