Ansett Airlines Flight 232
Encyclopedia
Ansett Airlines Flight 232 was an attempted hijacking of a Fokker Friendship
bound for Alice Springs from Adelaide
on Wednesday, 15 November 1972. It was the first aircraft hijacking
in Australia. The would-be hijacker died in the incident.
About 30 minutes before Flight 232 was due to land a male passenger produced a gun and said to the flight attendant
: "This is a hijack". The man, subsequently identified as a Czech
migrant named Miloslav Hrabinec, had boarded the flight in Adelaide with a concealed sawn-off .22 ArmaLite
rifle and a sheath knife strapped to his leg.
After leaving the lavatory as the flight was making its descent into Alice Springs Airport
, Hrabinec announced his intentions and forced both of the flight attendants to the cockpit where he spoke to the pilot. He asked for a parachute
and to be flown 1000 miles into the desert. The pilot convinced him to allow the plane to land where it taxied to an isolated part of the runway. After police officers negotiated with the man by radio, 22 of the passengers were permitted to leave the aircraft.
The man then demanded use of a light aircraft, pilot and parachute, saying he would start shooting passengers if his demands weren't promptly met. A civilian pilot and flying instructor, Ossie Watts volunteered himself and his Cessna aircraft and local police constable Paul Sandeman posed as the navigator. Watts was the Aero Club manager and was given a police handgun. Police concealed themselves around the hangar
s as the Cessna with Watts and Sandeman onboard taxied to a position close by. The hijacker descended the stairs with flight attendant Kaye Goreham as hostage. The Ansett crew immediately closed the aircraft's door to prevent the hijacker's return. Sandeman subsequently attempted to disarm the hijacker but was shot in the hand and stomach during the struggle. As Sandeman tried to get away he was shot in the right shoulder and left arm.
The other police officers and Watts opened fire on the man who had moved to a concealed position off the side of the runway. He then appeared to surrender by holding up his hands. As the police moved in, he opened fire again and police returned fire, apparently injuring him. The man then shot himself under the chin. He died in hospital several hours later. The coroner's inquest into Hrabinec's death established that he had died of self-inflicted wounds.
Constable Sandeman was awarded the Queen's Commendation for Bravery
.
Fokker F27
The Fokker F27 Friendship is a turboprop airliner designed and built by the Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker.-Design and development:Design of the Fokker F27 started in the 1950s as a replacement to the successful Douglas DC-3 airliner...
bound for Alice Springs from Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
on Wednesday, 15 November 1972. It was the first aircraft hijacking
Aircraft hijacking
Aircraft hijacking is the unlawful seizure of an aircraft by an individual or a group. In most cases, the pilot is forced to fly according to the orders of the hijackers. Occasionally, however, the hijackers have flown the aircraft themselves, such as the September 11 attacks of 2001...
in Australia. The would-be hijacker died in the incident.
About 30 minutes before Flight 232 was due to land a male passenger produced a gun and said to the flight attendant
Flight attendant
Flight attendants or cabin crew are members of an aircrew employed by airlines primarily to ensure the safety and comfort of passengers aboard commercial flights, on select business jet aircraft, and on some military aircraft.-History:The role of a flight attendant derives from that of similar...
: "This is a hijack". The man, subsequently identified as a Czech
Czech people
Czechs, or Czech people are a western Slavic people of Central Europe, living predominantly in the Czech Republic. Small populations of Czechs also live in Slovakia, Austria, the United States, the United Kingdom, Chile, Argentina, Canada, Germany, Russia and other countries...
migrant named Miloslav Hrabinec, had boarded the flight in Adelaide with a concealed sawn-off .22 ArmaLite
ArmaLite
ArmaLite is the name of a small arms engineering facility founded in the early 1950s, and once associated with the Fairchild Engine and Airplane Corporation. ArmaLite was formally incorporated as a subdivision of Fairchild on October 1, 1954...
rifle and a sheath knife strapped to his leg.
After leaving the lavatory as the flight was making its descent into Alice Springs Airport
Alice Springs Airport
Alice Springs Airport is a small regional airport 14 kilometres south of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory of Australia.The airport has two runways, the largest of which can accommodate a Boeing 747 or 777 landing...
, Hrabinec announced his intentions and forced both of the flight attendants to the cockpit where he spoke to the pilot. He asked for a parachute
Parachute
A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag, or in the case of ram-air parachutes, aerodynamic lift. Parachutes are usually made out of light, strong cloth, originally silk, now most commonly nylon...
and to be flown 1000 miles into the desert. The pilot convinced him to allow the plane to land where it taxied to an isolated part of the runway. After police officers negotiated with the man by radio, 22 of the passengers were permitted to leave the aircraft.
The man then demanded use of a light aircraft, pilot and parachute, saying he would start shooting passengers if his demands weren't promptly met. A civilian pilot and flying instructor, Ossie Watts volunteered himself and his Cessna aircraft and local police constable Paul Sandeman posed as the navigator. Watts was the Aero Club manager and was given a police handgun. Police concealed themselves around the hangar
Hangar
A hangar is a closed structure to hold aircraft or spacecraft in protective storage. Most hangars are built of metal, but other materials such as wood and concrete are also sometimes used...
s as the Cessna with Watts and Sandeman onboard taxied to a position close by. The hijacker descended the stairs with flight attendant Kaye Goreham as hostage. The Ansett crew immediately closed the aircraft's door to prevent the hijacker's return. Sandeman subsequently attempted to disarm the hijacker but was shot in the hand and stomach during the struggle. As Sandeman tried to get away he was shot in the right shoulder and left arm.
The other police officers and Watts opened fire on the man who had moved to a concealed position off the side of the runway. He then appeared to surrender by holding up his hands. As the police moved in, he opened fire again and police returned fire, apparently injuring him. The man then shot himself under the chin. He died in hospital several hours later. The coroner's inquest into Hrabinec's death established that he had died of self-inflicted wounds.
Constable Sandeman was awarded the Queen's Commendation for Bravery
Queen's Commendation for Bravery
The Queen's Commendation for Bravery is one of the United Kingdom awards granted for bravery entailing risk to life and meriting national recognition, but not at the level of the Queen's Gallantry Medal. The award may be granted posthumously and is not restricted to British subjects...
.