Yemenia Flight 448
Encyclopedia
Yemenia Flight 448 was a domestic scheduled passenger flight from Sana'a
to al-Hudaydah, Yemen
, that was hijacked on 23 January 2001. The Yemenia Yemen Airways Boeing 727-2N8 departed Sana'a International Airport
bound for a stop-over at Taiz-Al Janad Airport
, Ta'izz
. The passengers included the United States Ambassador to Yemen
, US Deputy Chief of Mission
to Yemen, and the Yemeni Ambassador to the US.
15 minutes after takeoff, a man armed with a pen gun hijacked the aircraft and demanded to be taken to Baghdad
, Iraq
. In addition to his gun, he claimed to have explosives hidden in his suitcase. The flight crew convinced the hijacker to first divert to Djibouti
to refuel.
The aircraft made an emergency landing
at Djibouti-Ambouli International Airport
, where the flight crew then overpowered the hijacker. The only injury was to the flight engineer
, who was grazed by a bullet during the fight.
The hijacker was an unemployed Iraq
i who wanted to look elsewhere for employment opportunities. He was extradited to Yemen, and sentenced to 15 years in prison in March 2001.
Sana'a
-Districts:*Al Wahdah District*As Sabain District*Assafi'yah District*At Tahrir District*Ath'thaorah District*Az'zal District*Bani Al Harith District*Ma'ain District*Old City District*Shu'aub District-Old City:...
to al-Hudaydah, Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
, that was hijacked on 23 January 2001. The Yemenia Yemen Airways Boeing 727-2N8 departed Sana'a International Airport
Sana'a International Airport
Sana'a International Airport or El Rahaba Airport is an international airport located in Sana'a, the capital of Yemen. The runway is shared with a large military base with several fighter jets and transport aircraft of the Yemeni Air Force.-Airlines and destinations:*Note: All flights operate...
bound for a stop-over at Taiz-Al Janad Airport
Ta'izz International Airport
Ta'izz International Airport is a public airport located in Ta'izz, the capital of the Ta'izz Governorate, Yemen.-Airlines and destinations:-Accidents and incidents:...
, Ta'izz
Ta'izz
Ta'izz , or Taiz, is a city in the Yemeni Highlands, near the famous Mocha port on the Red Sea, lying at an elevation of about 1,400 metres above sea level. It is the capital of Ta'izz Governorate...
. The passengers included the United States Ambassador to Yemen
United States Ambassador to Yemen
This is a list of Ambassadors of the United States to Yemen.Prior to 1990, Yemen had consisted of two nations: North Yemen and South Yemen. The United States had diplomatic relations with North Yemen since 1946...
, US Deputy Chief of Mission
Head of Mission
In diplomatic usage, Head of Mission or Chief of Mission from the French "Chef de Mission Diplomatique" is the generic term used to refer to the head of a diplomatic representation, such as an Ambassador, High Commissioner, Nuncio, Chargé d'affaires, Permanent Representative, and sometimes to a...
to Yemen, and the Yemeni Ambassador to the US.
15 minutes after takeoff, a man armed with a pen gun hijacked the aircraft and demanded to be taken to Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
, Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. In addition to his gun, he claimed to have explosives hidden in his suitcase. The flight crew convinced the hijacker to first divert to Djibouti
Djibouti (city)
The City of Djibouti is the capital and largest city in the Republic of Djibouti, a nation in the Horn of Africa. The biggest settlement on the Gulf of Tadjoura, it lies on a peninsula that separates that basin from the Gulf of Aden.-History:...
to refuel.
The aircraft made an emergency landing
Emergency landing
An emergency landing is a landing made by an aircraft in response to a crisis which either interferes with the operation of the aircraft or involves sudden medical emergencies necessitating diversion to the nearest airport.-Types of emergency landings:...
at Djibouti-Ambouli International Airport
Djibouti-Ambouli International Airport
Djibouti-Ambouli International Airport is a joint civilian/military-use airport situated in Djibouti City, Djibouti. In 2004, the airport served 182,641 passengers.-Military:...
, where the flight crew then overpowered the hijacker. The only injury was to the flight engineer
Flight engineer
Flight engineers work in three types of aircraft: fixed-wing , rotary wing , and space flight .As airplanes became even larger requiring more engines and complex systems to operate, the workload on the two pilots became excessive during certain critical parts of the flight regime, notably takeoffs...
, who was grazed by a bullet during the fight.
The hijacker was an unemployed Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
i who wanted to look elsewhere for employment opportunities. He was extradited to Yemen, and sentenced to 15 years in prison in March 2001.