A US citizen hijacked a domestic flight in Belize on Friday, stabbing two passengers and the pilot in a mid-air attack.
One of the victims, who despite suffering critical injuries, managed to fatally shoot the attacker mid-flight, officials in Belize and the United States confirmed.
The plane eventually landed safely, averting what authorities said could have been a mass casualty event.
The Tropic Air flight, carrying 14 passengers and two crew members, had departed from Corozal, a small town near Belize’s northern border with Mexico, and was en route to the popular tourist destination of San Pedro when the hijacking occurred, reported NYT.
The aircraft veered off course and flew erratically for nearly two hours before eventually landing in the coastal town of Ladyville, escorted by a police helicopter.
Authorities said the full emergency was declared shortly after the incident began, around 8:30 am local time, according to a statement from the Belize Airport Concession Company.
“In the face of incomprehensible pressure, our pilot acted with extraordinary courage and calm, guiding the aircraft to a safe landing. His actions were nothing short of heroic,” said Maximillian Greif, CEO of Tropic Air.
The pilot and the two passengers who were stabbed were transported to a hospital. Their injuries were described as serious but survivable, with one of the passengers in critical condition.
Who was the hijacker?
Belize Police Commissioner Chester Williams identified the hijacker as Akinyela Sawa Taylor, a US citizen whom he described as a military veteran. US officials said they could not confirm Taylor’s veteran status.
According to Williams, Taylor demanded that the plane divert course, at times asking to be flown to Mexico, and at one point insisting the plane land to refuel. During the struggle, he stabbed the pilot and two passengers. One of the passengers, Fitzgerald Brown, managed to pull out a licensed firearm despite having been stabbed in the back and suffering a punctured lung. Brown shot and killed Taylor inside the aircraft. He later handed over the weapon to authorities.
“We are praying for him,” Williams told reporters. “He’s our hero.”
The other injured passenger was identified as Jair Castañeda, and the wounded pilot as Howell Grange, according to a Tropic Air official who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media. The nationalities of Brown and Castañeda have not yet been released.
At a press briefing in Washington, US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce described the hijacking as “horrifying” and praised the passengers and crew.
“We are grateful, I think all of us are, that that did not turn into a mass casualty event with I believe over a dozen people on the plane,” Bruce said. “Clearly we know a few details. We don’t know much more.”
Luke Martin, spokesperson for the US Embassy in Belize, confirmed that Taylor had demanded to be flown back to the United States during the ordeal. “We don’t know why he wanted to go back to the United States,” Martin said.
Authorities in both countries said the motive for the hijacking remains unclear, and investigations are ongoing.
