[edit]Hijacking
The Indian Airlines flight 814 (VT-EDW) had 178 passengers on board (most of whom were Indian nationals) that were coming to India after vacationing in Nepal.[1] It was hijacked on December 24, 1999, shortly after the aircraft entered Indian airspace at about 17:30 IST.[2] The identities of the hijackers according to the Indian Government were:[3]
Ibrahim Azhar, Bahawalpur, Pakistan
Shahid Akhtar Sayed, Karachi, Pakistan
Sunny Ahmed Qazi, Karachi, Pakistan
Mistri Zahoor Ibrahim, Karachi, Pakistan
Shakir, Sukkur, Pakistan
Anil Sharma, the chief flight attendant on IC-814, later recalled that a masked, bespectacled man threatened to blow up the plane with a bomb and ordered Captain Devi Sharan to "fly west".[4] The hijackers wanted Captain Sharan to divert the aircraft over Lucknow and head towards Lahore. However, there was insufficient fuel. Captain Sharan told the hijackers that they had to land in Amritsar, India.[4]
[edit]Landing in Amritsar, India
At Amritsar, Captain Sharan requested refueling the aircraft. However, the Crisis Management Group in Delhi directed Amritsar Airport authorities to ensure that the plane was immobilised, which armed personnel of the Punjab police were already in position to try to do. They did not receive approval from New Delhi. Eventually, a fuel tanker was dispatched and instructed to block the approach of the aircraft. As the tanker sped towards the aircraft, air traffic control radioed the pilot to slow down, and the tanker immediately came to a stop. This sudden stop aroused the hijackers' suspicion and they forced the aircraft to take off immediately, without clearance from air traffic control. The aircraft missed the tanker by only a few feet.[5]
[edit]Landing in Lahore, Pakistan
Due to extremely low fuel level, the aircraft requested emergency landing in Lahore, Pakistan. Pakistan initially denied the request. Pakistan also shut down their air traffic services, thus effectively blackening the whole of Pakistan airspace for the Indian Airlines flight and switched off all lights at Lahore Airport.[6] With no help from ATC, Captain Sharan banked on his visual instincts and began descending on what he thought was a runway only to find out that it was a well-lit road and aborted landing the aircraft in time.[7] On understanding that the only other option for the aircraft was to crash land, Lahore Airport switched on its lights and allowed the aircraft to land. Lahore airport officials refueled the aircraft and allowed it to leave Lahore at 22:32 IST. Pakistani officials rejected the pilot's request to offload some women and children passengers due to tense relations with India.[8]
[edit]Landing in Dubai, UAE
The aircraft took off for Dubai where 27 passengers aboard the flight were released.[8] The hijackers also released a critically injured 25-year-old Indian male, Rupin Katyal, who was stabbed by the hijackers multiple times. Rupin had actually died before the aircraft landed in Dubai.
The Indian Airlines flight 814 (VT-EDW) had 178 passengers on board (most of whom were Indian nationals) that were coming to India after vacationing in Nepal.[1] It was hijacked on December 24, 1999, shortly after the aircraft entered Indian airspace at about 17:30 IST.[2] The identities of the hijackers according to the Indian Government were:[3]
Ibrahim Azhar, Bahawalpur, Pakistan
Shahid Akhtar Sayed, Karachi, Pakistan
Sunny Ahmed Qazi, Karachi, Pakistan
Mistri Zahoor Ibrahim, Karachi, Pakistan
Shakir, Sukkur, Pakistan
Anil Sharma, the chief flight attendant on IC-814, later recalled that a masked, bespectacled man threatened to blow up the plane with a bomb and ordered Captain Devi Sharan to "fly west".[4] The hijackers wanted Captain Sharan to divert the aircraft over Lucknow and head towards Lahore. However, there was insufficient fuel. Captain Sharan told the hijackers that they had to land in Amritsar, India.[4]
[edit]Landing in Amritsar, India
At Amritsar, Captain Sharan requested refueling the aircraft. However, the Crisis Management Group in Delhi directed Amritsar Airport authorities to ensure that the plane was immobilised, which armed personnel of the Punjab police were already in position to try to do. They did not receive approval from New Delhi. Eventually, a fuel tanker was dispatched and instructed to block the approach of the aircraft. As the tanker sped towards the aircraft, air traffic control radioed the pilot to slow down, and the tanker immediately came to a stop. This sudden stop aroused the hijackers' suspicion and they forced the aircraft to take off immediately, without clearance from air traffic control. The aircraft missed the tanker by only a few feet.[5]
[edit]Landing in Lahore, Pakistan
Due to extremely low fuel level, the aircraft requested emergency landing in Lahore, Pakistan. Pakistan initially denied the request. Pakistan also shut down their air traffic services, thus effectively blackening the whole of Pakistan airspace for the Indian Airlines flight and switched off all lights at Lahore Airport.[6] With no help from ATC, Captain Sharan banked on his visual instincts and began descending on what he thought was a runway only to find out that it was a well-lit road and aborted landing the aircraft in time.[7] On understanding that the only other option for the aircraft was to crash land, Lahore Airport switched on its lights and allowed the aircraft to land. Lahore airport officials refueled the aircraft and allowed it to leave Lahore at 22:32 IST. Pakistani officials rejected the pilot's request to offload some women and children passengers due to tense relations with India.[8]
[edit]Landing in Dubai, UAE
The aircraft took off for Dubai where 27 passengers aboard the flight were released.[8] The hijackers also released a critically injured 25-year-old Indian male, Rupin Katyal, who was stabbed by the hijackers multiple times. Rupin had actually died before the aircraft landed in Dubai.
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