Ethiopian Airlines’ Flight 702 Squawks “HiJacking”

Airline Reporter ^ | 2/16/14 | Airline Reporter Staff

[CondorFlight]

At 5:00pm Pacific Time, Ethiopian Flight 702, a Boeing 767-300 was flying over Sudan when it started squawking 7500. The transponder code, is supposed to indicate a “hijacking.”

(snip)

The flight, operating from Addis Abba to Rome has been confirmed by Rome Airport not to have arrived yet. As of now, it is over France, but has recently taken a steep northeast heading.

Based on flight tracking, it appears the plane is headed to Geneva. Emergency crews are standing by.

[hoagy62]

You suppose the pilot is a Muslim that doesn’t want to be a Muslim anymore....and this was the only way he could think of to escape?

Just a thought....

[cynwoody]

You suppose the pilot is a Muslim that doesn’t want to be a Muslim anymore....and this was the only way he could think of to escape?

Who knows?

The surprise comes from the report that the pilots were exiting via the cockpit windows, yet now we learn at least one of the pilots was in on the hijacking.

I mean, I was thinking, this validates hardening the cockpit — they can be induced to divert the flight, but they cannot be made to fly into skyscrapers. But then we learn the asylum requester was in the cockpit! WTF‽

[devolve]

- All - All - highjackers should be shot in the head on the runway after any landings -

- That will stop the Hollywood PR that they are seeking and getting -

- Either that or feed them to hungry wild boars - “Hannibal” style

[GeronL]

Terror bombing at Israeli-Egyptian border kills 4 including 3 South Korea tourists and wounding more than a dozen more

Very sad

[freedom462]

If this was a flight with Ethiopian Christian passengers on it and it was hijacked, I figure they were fully aware of this lesson years, decades even, before 9/11. Another one of those nations that understood these kinds of threats when Americans were wholly sheltered from them.

[Hootowl99]

Flight Radar uses data from the flight transponders that are mandatory on all commercial aircraft and most private aircraft. Military aircraft may or may not squawk on these civil formats depending on their mission.

I’ve been using Flight Radar for a little over a year. It’s great and recommend it. I don’t intend this to be a commercial so will stop here. Drop by their website for more and probably better information if you’re interested.

[PghBaldy]

There was the EgyptAir pilot who crashed his plane, intentionally, on Halloween of 1999, IIRC.

[ltc8k6]

Huge fan and longtime flightradar24 user here.

Also proud Airliners.net member.

[ltc8k6]

Morning local news reporting that the hijacker was the co-pilot.

[ilovesarah2012]

So the pilot hijacked his own plane?

[Innovative]

Pretty stupid, isn’t it?

Co-pilot hijacks Ethiopian Airlines plane, flies to Geneva, seeks asylum

http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/17/world/europe/ethiopian-airlines-hijacking/

[jersey117]

Yes. He was the first to let us in on alahu akbar.

[KC_Lion]

Awful!

Truly Awful!

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks CondorFlight.

Authorities: Co-Pilot Took Control of Ethiopian Airlines Plane, Wanted Asylum
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304899704579388082595012094.html

[null and void]

It was the news of the other plane hijackings (and terrorist strikes with them) that saved another piece of Washington real estate on 9-11. Telling us “it’s for our own good” doesn’t work.

Yes.

The only thing that kept the Capitol building and a goodly portion of congress critters from being crispy critters was the use of in-flight telephones.

As a reward for saving their miserable lives, congress promptly banned the use of in-flight telephones.

It was at this point I knew we were doomed...

[a fool in paradise]

Suppressing the news of plane hijackings (but not the terrorist taking of a school or boat) does nothing but kick the can down the street. EVENTUALLY the news will get out to persons who are on planes or about to board them.

[null and void]

Is there anyone in DC fit to shine the shoes of the men and women who died that day?

Yes. I bet a modern Lot could find 50 such in the District of Columbia.

Just not in government...

[a fool in paradise]

Ethiopian Airlines Flight 702 made multiple loops over the airport before landing, according to Flightradar24.com, a website that tracks fights. Flightradar24

With a graphic from that site. Is that site traditionally cited following hijackings? Or did some journalist(s) read this thread to get the play by play and a map to more info?

There wasn't a scrap of detail to be found online last night.

[a fool in paradise]

The high-altitude drama started when the chief pilot of the Boeing 767-300 left the airliner's cockpit to use the toilet, said Robert Deillon, chief executive of the Geneva airport. The hijacker then locked the cockpit door and took control of the aircraft, he said.

Is it possible for the pilot to trigger the hijacking beacon signal from outside the cockpit or did the co-pilot trigger it to alert other air traffic controllers know that he was taking the plane off course?

[null and void]

Then he could fly on any scheduled flight to any country that would have him and ask for asylum after he landed. He’s a friggin’ pilot. Pilots fly places.

He could have landed in Rome as scheduled and asked the Italian authorities.

He could have taken Eurorail to Geneva as a tourist/pilot on break and asked the Swiss there.