THY A310 Hijacked!

[Thomas_Cook_757-200]

Hi,

Breaking News

A Turkish Airlines Airbus A310 has been hijacked on a flight from Istanbul to Ankara. The flight had 203 people onboard (194 passengers and 9 crew members). The aircraft has landed in Athens, Greece.

I will update you when I know more.

Thanks

Thomas_Cook_757-200

[aerpix]

Latest news is that flt TK 160 is now refuelling at Athens, and is due to continue to Berlin-Tegel later on. Reportedly some VIPs are among the 194 pax.

Regards,
Peter

[gocaps16]

According to the picture on cnn.com, it looks more like a Boeing 737 not an Airbus A310.

I heard one new reporter called it a Boeing 747-500. I bet she meant Boeing 737-500.

[gocaps16]

Well, i guess your right.

CNN reports "this plane is a british airbus" haha.

[Thomas_Cook_757-200]

Hi,
A 737-500 with 204 people onboard????????????

Thanks

Thomas_Cook_757-200

[Aussie767]

Hi



Picture of the plane with passenger leaving

Looks like a 737

Regards

[PANC]

Heres the full story:
ATHENS, Greece, March 28 — A hijacker commandeered a domestic Turkish flight carrying more than 200 people late Friday and forced it to fly to Greece, officials said.



THE TURKISH AIRLINES flight to Ankara was seized after takeoff from Istanbul, and landed safely in Athens. Greek television showed footage of the plane on the runaway.
“We don’t have any information ... they have stopped at the airport to refuel,” said Greek Foreign Ministry spokesman Panos Beglitis.
Turkey’s Transportation Minister Binali Yildirim said the hijacker wanted to fly to Berlin. “There has been no message given so far,” Yildirim said.
Yildirim said there were 204 people — 196 passengers and 8 crew members — aboard the Airbus A310. Turkey’s Anatolia news agency said at least two lawmakers and one former minister were among the passengers.
The plane at first diverted course and began heading toward the Aegean coastal city of Izmir, but later changed course again and began heading toward Greece, Turkey’s private NTV television reported.





Kurdish, leftist and radical Islamic groups are active in Turkey and have carried out attacks in the past. Chechen militants have also carried out a series of hijackings and hostage-takings to protest Russia’s military campaign in Chechnya.
The last hijacking at Istanbul’s airport was in February, when a lone hijacker claiming to have a bomb briefly held two flight attendants hostage before police stormed the aircraft.
In 1998, a man carrying a teddy bear he claimed was stuffed with explosives commandeered a Turkish Airlines flight. The incident ended when he was overpowered by other passengers.
Seven months later a man brandishing what turned out to be a toy gun hijacked another Turkish jetliner. He was persuaded to surrender.
A third hijacking that year ended in bloodshed when security officials stormed a plane on the tarmac at Ankara airport and shot dead a Kurdish rebel armed with a hand grenade. No passengers were hurt.

PANC

[Avianca 757]

Greek authorities have arrested the suspect, 20-year-old Turkish student Ozgur Gencaslan, according to journalist Anthee Carassavas.

The six-hour ordeal abroad Flight TK 160 began after the A-310 Airbus was hijacked shortly after taking off from Istanbul.

It landed in Athens about 11:59 p.m. (4:50 p.m. ET) Friday.

All 203 passengers are now safe, including two pilots who had been held during the final stages of intense negotiations between the suspect and Greek and Turkish officials, Carassavas said.

Authorities have not yet said what sort of weapon the suspect may have used to commandeer the plane.

Greek Foreign Minister Georges Papandreou said no one was injured during the ordeal.

Turkey has sent a plane to Athens to bring the passengers to Ankara, their original destination, Turkish Transportation Minister Binali Yildirim said.

The hijacker had demanded to be taken to Germany, because his mother and sister had been arrested there, the Turkish minister said.

Top-ranking Turkish officials, including Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul had all spoken to the suspect by phone to try and end the hijacking.

At least three Turkish parliamentarians, two from the current ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), were among the passengers.

Two Greek military jets were deployed to follow the plane into the airport.

At least it ended!

[Avianca 757]

.a

[gocaps16]

hahaha, I think CNN took a picture of the wrong aircraft. I swear that photo does look like a B737, not an A310.

[aerpix]

It must have been an A.310. THY's 738s have a configuration of 20C135Y, thier 734s CY150 and their two 735s CY117. No way to put in over 200 persons in any of THY's 737s. CNN simply shot the wrong plane, which goes in line with the wrong maps they sometimes show .

Regards,
Peter

[Aussie767]

Here is an update

http://biz.yahoo.com/rc/030328/airlines_hijack_release_1.html

Thank god everyone got off unharmed

[Thomas_Cook_757-200]

Hi,
Well it seems this seige has ended with no loss of life.
The hijaker had candles straped around his waist not explosives and is thought to have a mental illness which led him to hijack the TK A310 in a bid to take the aircraft to Berlin where his father lives?

Thanks

Thomas_Cook_757-200

My 200th Post

[aerpix]

There's two important things with this hi-jacking:
1. no casualties
2. no connection with terrorism
So I am glad it went over without problems.

Regards,
Peter

[Thomas_Cook_757-200]

Hi,
Here is a picture of the TK A310 at Athens:



Thanks

Thomas_Cook_757-200

Soure - Reuters News Agency