Lufthansa Flight 592
Encyclopedia
Lufthansa Flight 592 was a regularly scheduled passenger flight from Frankfurt
, Germany
to Addis Ababa
, Ethiopia
that was hijacked
on February 11, 1993. The Lufthansa
-operated Airbus
A310-300
was hijacked by Nebiu Demeke, an Ethopian man who forced the pilot to fly to New York City
's John F. Kennedy International Airport
. The aircraft landed safely, and the gunman surrendered peacefully and without incident. He was charged with air piracy in United States district court
, and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
between Frankfurt International Airport
, Frankfurt, Germany, and Bole International Airport
, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, with a scheduled intermediate stop at Cairo International Airport
, Cairo
, Egypt
. The aircraft was an Airbus A310-300
, registration
D-AIDM, that had been in service since August 30, 1991. The flight carried 94 passengers and 10 crew.
, was a political prisoner in Ethiopia, and the Demeke family moved to Morocco
after his arrest to escape persecution. Nebiu Demeke studied at the American School
in Tangiers, Morocco, where he was described as "distracted" and "emotional." His older sister, Selamawit, went to study at Gettysburg College
in Gettysburg
, Pennsylvania
. His older brother, Demter, enrolled at Macalester College
in St. Paul, Minnesota
, and his younger brother, Brook, lived in Indiana
. Though Demeke attempted to join his siblings in the United States
, he was denied a student visa, and was unable to otherwise receive permission to legally enter the country.
Six months prior to the hijacking, 20-year-old Demeke moved to Germany and applied for political asylum. When he withdrew his application for asylum, the German government purchased him a ticket on Flight 592 back to Ethiopia.
Demeke entered the airport carrying a starting pistol
loaded with blanks
. Prior to reaching security, he placed the pistol on his head and covered it with an "Indiana Jones"-style fedora. When it came time to pass through the metal-detector, he pinched the top of the hat and placed both it and the hidden pistol on a table. He retrieved both prior to boarding the plane.
n airspace, Demeke entered the forward lavatory. He put on a black ski mask and removed his pistol. Leaving the lavatory, he entered the cockpit
, which was unlocked. Placing the pistol to the pilot's head, he said, "If you do not turn west, I'll kill you."
Demeke demanded that the aircraft be flown to New York, as well as political asylum in the United States. After being told that the plane would need to be refueled, Demeke agreed to allow a refueling stop in Hanover
, Germany. The aircraft landed at Hannover-Langenhagen Airport around noon local time, where it was surrounded by law enforcement officials. Demeke remained in the cockpit with the pistol to the pilot's head, and threatened to begin killing a flight attendant
every five minutes. German authorities allowed the plane to depart after Demeke threatened to kill his hostages but promised to surrender peacefully upon reaching the United States.
Pilot Gerhard Goebel was able to calm Demeke down during the non-stop flight to New York. Though Demeke kept the pistol pointed at Goebel's head for the duration of the flight, he removed his ski mask. Goebel later told newspapers that he spent the hours trying to build a rapport with Demeke, who admitted to having spent several months planning the hijacking. Both men agreed that, upon arriving in New York, Goebel would give Demeke his sunglasses in exchange for Demeke's pistol.
The aircraft arrived at John F. Kennedy International Airport
at around 4:00 pm EDT
and taxied to a remote part of the runway. A three-man hostage negotiation team had been assembled in the air traffic control
tower. NYPD detective
Dominick Misino spoke with Demeke over the radio, assisted by FBI special agent
John Flood and Port Authority detective sergeant Carmine Spano. After 70 minutes of negotiation, Demeke traded his pistol for the pilot's sunglasses and surrendered peacefully to authorities. All 94 passengers and ten crew were unharmed.
. He was arraigned on February 12, 1993; Judge Allyne Ross ordered him held without bail
until his trial. Demeke remained convinced that he would not spend any time in prison and that he would be granted asylum. During the course of his trial, he was twice found to be incompetent
to stand trial and was prescribed medication for depression
and hallucination
s. He represented himself during the course of his four-day trial. He was found guilty in a jury trial
after an hour of deliberation, and Judge Sterling Johnson, Jr. sentenced him to twenty years in prison.
Germany was criticized severely by the international press for lax security measures in Frankfurt Airport that allowed Demeke to smuggle a pistol on board, and for allowing the hijacked aircraft to leave after refueling in Hanover. Frankfurt Airport, the busiest airport in Europe at the time, had recently come under fire after the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103
over Lockerbie, Scotland in 1988, when it had been alleged that the explosives had been loaded in Frankfurt. Since the 1988 bombing, the Frankfurt airport had performed numerous security reviews and implemented more stringent security procedures.
The incident was the first trans-Atlantic hijacking since five Croatia
n nationalists hijacked TWA Flight 355
on September 10, 1976. In that incident, the domestic New York-Chicago flight was forced to fly to Paris
, France
.
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
to Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia...
, Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
that was hijacked
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...
on February 11, 1993. The Lufthansa
Lufthansa
Deutsche Lufthansa AG is the flag carrier of Germany and the largest airline in Europe in terms of overall passengers carried. The name of the company is derived from Luft , and Hansa .The airline is the world's fourth-largest airline in terms of overall passengers carried, operating...
-operated Airbus
Airbus
Airbus SAS is an aircraft manufacturing subsidiary of EADS, a European aerospace company. Based in Blagnac, France, surburb of Toulouse, and with significant activity across Europe, the company produces around half of the world's jet airliners....
A310-300
Airbus A310
The Airbus A310 is a medium- to long-range twin-engine widebody jet airliner. Launched in July 1978, it was the second aircraft created by Airbus Industrie,a consortium of European aerospace companies, Airbus is now fully owned by EADS and since 2001 has been known as Airbus SAS. the consortium of...
was hijacked by Nebiu Demeke, an Ethopian man who forced the pilot to fly to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
's John F. Kennedy International Airport
John F. Kennedy International Airport
John F. Kennedy International Airport is an international airport located in the borough of Queens in New York City, about southeast of Lower Manhattan. It is the busiest international air passenger gateway to the United States, handling more international traffic than any other airport in North...
. The aircraft landed safely, and the gunman surrendered peacefully and without incident. He was charged with air piracy in United States district court
United States district court
The United States district courts are the general trial courts of the United States federal court system. Both civil and criminal cases are filed in the district court, which is a court of law, equity, and admiralty. There is a United States bankruptcy court associated with each United States...
, and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Flight
Flight 592 was a regularly scheduled international passenger flight operated by Deutsche Lufthansa AGLufthansa
Deutsche Lufthansa AG is the flag carrier of Germany and the largest airline in Europe in terms of overall passengers carried. The name of the company is derived from Luft , and Hansa .The airline is the world's fourth-largest airline in terms of overall passengers carried, operating...
between Frankfurt International Airport
Frankfurt International Airport
Frankfurt am Main Airport , or simply Frankfurt Airport, known in German as Flughafen Frankfurt am Main or Rhein-Main-Flughafen, is a major international airport located in Frankfurt, Germany, southwest of the city centre....
, Frankfurt, Germany, and Bole International Airport
Bole International Airport
Addis Ababa Bole International Airport serves the city of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The airport is located in the Bole area, south east of Addis Ababa City Centre and north of Debre Zeyit...
, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, with a scheduled intermediate stop at Cairo International Airport
Cairo International Airport
Cairo International Airport is the busiest airport in Egypt and the primary hub for Star Alliance member EgyptAir. The airport is located to the north-east of the city around from the business area of the city.The airport is administered by the Egyptian Holding Co...
, Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
. The aircraft was an Airbus A310-300
Airbus A310
The Airbus A310 is a medium- to long-range twin-engine widebody jet airliner. Launched in July 1978, it was the second aircraft created by Airbus Industrie,a consortium of European aerospace companies, Airbus is now fully owned by EADS and since 2001 has been known as Airbus SAS. the consortium of...
, registration
Aircraft registration
An aircraft registration is a unique alphanumeric string that identifies a civil aircraft, in similar fashion to a licence plate on an automobile...
D-AIDM, that had been in service since August 30, 1991. The flight carried 94 passengers and 10 crew.
Hijacker
Nebiu Zewolde Demeke was born on September 24, 1972 in Egypt. His father, an economistEconomist
An economist is a professional in the social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy...
, was a political prisoner in Ethiopia, and the Demeke family moved to Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
after his arrest to escape persecution. Nebiu Demeke studied at the American School
American Schools and Hospitals Abroad
The American Schools and Hospitals Abroad is a program of the United States Agency for International Development with world wide networks...
in Tangiers, Morocco, where he was described as "distracted" and "emotional." His older sister, Selamawit, went to study at Gettysburg College
Gettysburg College
Gettysburg College is a private four-year liberal arts college founded in 1832, in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, United States, adjacent to the famous battlefield. Its athletic teams are nicknamed the Bullets. Gettysburg College has about 2,700 students, with roughly equal numbers of men and women...
in Gettysburg
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Gettysburg is a borough that is the county seat, part of the Gettysburg Battlefield, and the eponym for the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg. The town hosts visitors to the Gettysburg National Military Park and has 3 institutions of higher learning: Lutheran Theological Seminary, Gettysburg College, and...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. His older brother, Demter, enrolled at Macalester College
Macalester College
Macalester College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It was founded in 1874 as a Presbyterian-affiliated but nonsectarian college. Its first class entered September 15, 1885. The college is located on a campus in a historic residential neighborhood...
in St. Paul, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, and his younger brother, Brook, lived in Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
. Though Demeke attempted to join his siblings in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, he was denied a student visa, and was unable to otherwise receive permission to legally enter the country.
Six months prior to the hijacking, 20-year-old Demeke moved to Germany and applied for political asylum. When he withdrew his application for asylum, the German government purchased him a ticket on Flight 592 back to Ethiopia.
Demeke entered the airport carrying a starting pistol
Starting pistol
A starting pistol or starter pistol is a handgun or electronic toy weapon that is fired to start track and field races, as well as competitive swimming races at some meets. The loud report of the gun going off is a signal to the athletes to begin the event. Usually a cloud of smoke can be seen...
loaded with blanks
Blank (cartridge)
A blank is a type of cartridge for a firearm that contains gunpowder but no bullet or shot. When fired, the blank makes a flash and an explosive sound . Blanks are often used for simulation , training, and for signaling...
. Prior to reaching security, he placed the pistol on his head and covered it with an "Indiana Jones"-style fedora. When it came time to pass through the metal-detector, he pinched the top of the hat and placed both it and the hidden pistol on a table. He retrieved both prior to boarding the plane.
Hijacking
Approximately 35 minutes into the flight, as the aircraft reached cruising altitude in AustriaAustria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n airspace, Demeke entered the forward lavatory. He put on a black ski mask and removed his pistol. Leaving the lavatory, he entered the cockpit
Cockpit
A cockpit or flight deck is the area, usually near the front of an aircraft, from which a pilot controls the aircraft. Most modern cockpits are enclosed, except on some small aircraft, and cockpits on large airliners are also physically separated from the cabin...
, which was unlocked. Placing the pistol to the pilot's head, he said, "If you do not turn west, I'll kill you."
Demeke demanded that the aircraft be flown to New York, as well as political asylum in the United States. After being told that the plane would need to be refueled, Demeke agreed to allow a refueling stop in Hanover
Hanover
Hanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
, Germany. The aircraft landed at Hannover-Langenhagen Airport around noon local time, where it was surrounded by law enforcement officials. Demeke remained in the cockpit with the pistol to the pilot's head, and threatened to begin killing a 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...
every five minutes. German authorities allowed the plane to depart after Demeke threatened to kill his hostages but promised to surrender peacefully upon reaching the United States.
Pilot Gerhard Goebel was able to calm Demeke down during the non-stop flight to New York. Though Demeke kept the pistol pointed at Goebel's head for the duration of the flight, he removed his ski mask. Goebel later told newspapers that he spent the hours trying to build a rapport with Demeke, who admitted to having spent several months planning the hijacking. Both men agreed that, upon arriving in New York, Goebel would give Demeke his sunglasses in exchange for Demeke's pistol.
The aircraft arrived at John F. Kennedy International Airport
John F. Kennedy International Airport
John F. Kennedy International Airport is an international airport located in the borough of Queens in New York City, about southeast of Lower Manhattan. It is the busiest international air passenger gateway to the United States, handling more international traffic than any other airport in North...
at around 4:00 pm EDT
Eastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
and taxied to a remote part of the runway. A three-man hostage negotiation team had been assembled in the air traffic control
Air traffic control
Air traffic control is a service provided by ground-based controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and in the air. The primary purpose of ATC systems worldwide is to separate aircraft to prevent collisions, to organize and expedite the flow of traffic, and to provide information and other...
tower. NYPD detective
Detective
A detective is an investigator, either a member of a police agency or a private person. The latter may be known as private investigators or "private eyes"...
Dominick Misino spoke with Demeke over the radio, assisted by FBI special agent
Special agent
Special agent is usually the title for a detective or investigator for a state, county, municipal, federal or tribal government. An agent is a worker for any federal agency, and a secret agent is one who works for an intelligence agency....
John Flood and Port Authority detective sergeant Carmine Spano. After 70 minutes of negotiation, Demeke traded his pistol for the pilot's sunglasses and surrendered peacefully to authorities. All 94 passengers and ten crew were unharmed.
Aftermath
Nebiu Demeke was arrested and charged with air piracy in Federal District Court in BrooklynBrooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
. He was arraigned on February 12, 1993; Judge Allyne Ross ordered him held without bail
Bail
Traditionally, bail is some form of property deposited or pledged to a court to persuade it to release a suspect from jail, on the understanding that the suspect will return for trial or forfeit the bail...
until his trial. Demeke remained convinced that he would not spend any time in prison and that he would be granted asylum. During the course of his trial, he was twice found to be incompetent
Competence (law)
In American law, competence concerns the mental capacity of an individual to participate in legal proceedings. Defendants that do not possess sufficient "competence" are usually excluded from criminal prosecution, while witnesses found not to possess requisite competence cannot testify...
to stand trial and was prescribed medication for depression
Depression (mood)
Depression is a state of low mood and aversion to activity that can affect a person's thoughts, behaviour, feelings and physical well-being. Depressed people may feel sad, anxious, empty, hopeless, helpless, worthless, guilty, irritable, or restless...
and hallucination
Hallucination
A hallucination, in the broadest sense of the word, is a perception in the absence of a stimulus. In a stricter sense, hallucinations are defined as perceptions in a conscious and awake state in the absence of external stimuli which have qualities of real perception, in that they are vivid,...
s. He represented himself during the course of his four-day trial. He was found guilty in a jury trial
Jury trial
A jury trial is a legal proceeding in which a jury either makes a decision or makes findings of fact which are then applied by a judge...
after an hour of deliberation, and Judge Sterling Johnson, Jr. sentenced him to twenty years in prison.
Germany was criticized severely by the international press for lax security measures in Frankfurt Airport that allowed Demeke to smuggle a pistol on board, and for allowing the hijacked aircraft to leave after refueling in Hanover. Frankfurt Airport, the busiest airport in Europe at the time, had recently come under fire after the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103
Pan Am Flight 103
Pan Am Flight 103 was Pan American World Airways' third daily scheduled transatlantic flight from London Heathrow Airport to New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport...
over Lockerbie, Scotland in 1988, when it had been alleged that the explosives had been loaded in Frankfurt. Since the 1988 bombing, the Frankfurt airport had performed numerous security reviews and implemented more stringent security procedures.
The incident was the first trans-Atlantic hijacking since five Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
n nationalists hijacked TWA Flight 355
TWA Flight 355
TWA Flight 355 was a domestic Trans World Airlines flight which was hijacked by five terrorists, all members of the Croatian National Resistance which was a terrorist Croatian Ustaše emigrant organization, on September 10, 1976....
on September 10, 1976. In that incident, the domestic New York-Chicago flight was forced to fly to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.