Canada: Small plane hijacked at Vancouver, flight services disrupted
S
ervices at the Vancouver International Airport came to a brief standstill on Wednesday as federal police received a report that a small plane had been hijacked, officials said.
According to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in British Columbia, the alert came in at 1.10 pm (local time), reporting that a Cessna 172 "had been hijacked from the Vancouver Island area and was entering into airspace near Vancouver International Airport,' reported CBS News.
Officials stated that the suspect was the sole occupant of the aircraft.
'We do have an aircraft that has been hijacked and is in the vicinity of the airport,' a tower controller warned other aircraft, according to audio captured on the website LiveATC.net, reported CNN.
'Just in case anything starts heading toward you, you have the ability to move at your discretion.'
The plane was seen to be flying low and banking to the right, and a "few minutes later, we saw a second pass ... the plane was making a big clockwise circle," said witness Paul Heeney, as quoted by CBC.
This incident led to a temporary halt in flight services at the Vancouver International Airport for 39 minutes. Nine inbound flights were diverted to other airports.
A WestJet Airlines Boeing 737 was asked to abort its landing due to a 'rogue 172' crossing roughly four miles ahead of it.
The suspect was 'arrested without incident' as per the RCMP when it landed at the airport at 1.45 pm (local time). Officials have not yet disclosed further details about the suspect.
The Cessna 172, typically used for flight training, departed from Victoria International Airport and flew approximately 40 miles north to Vancouver, where it began circling.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
28-07-2025
- First Post
'Death to Trump': EasyJet flight to Scotland diverted after man yells 'Death to US, Allahu Akbar'
A passenger on board EasyJet flight to Scotland claimed there was a bomb on the plane as he shouted 'death to America' and 'death to Trump.' read more A man sparked panic on an easyJet flight from Luton to Glasgow by falsely claiming he had a bomb onboard. An EasyJet flight from Luton, England, to Scotland had to be diverted on Sunday (July 27) after a passenger claimed there was a bomb on the plane and also shouted 'Death to Trump (US President)'. A video, which gained traction on social media but could not be independently verified, allegedly captures the man standing in the plane's aisle, shouting 'Allahu Akbar' (an Arabic phrase meaning 'God is great'), along with 'death to America' and 'death to Trump.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 🚨 'I'm going to bomb the plane, Death to America, Death to Trump - Allahu Akbar' Recorded earlier today aboard a Domestic internal flight EasyJet over The UK Legacy Media aren't showing you this ‼️ — Concerned Citizen (@BGatesIsaPyscho) July 27, 2025 The footage shows fellow passengers restraining him by tackling him to the floor. He is also heard yelling, 'Stop the plane. Find the bomb on the plane,' while other passengers appear visibly shocked and scared. This caused panic among the passengers, forcing the pilot to land the plane at the nearest airport. The 41-year-old man was later arrested. In a similar incident earlier this month, a 21-year-old Indian-origin man, Ishaan Sharma, was arrested in Miami for allegedly attacking passengers on a Frontier Airlines flight. Sharma reportedly displayed erratic behaviour, including mocking laughter and making threatening remarks such as, ''you punt, mortal man, if you challenge me, it will result in your death.' Upon landing in Miami, he was charged with battery. Southwest Airlines flight experiences tense moment In a separate incident, a Southwest Airlines flight experienced a tense moment when the pilot informed passengers that their Boeing 737 had narrowly avoided a collision with another plane before safely landing in Las Vegas. The incident occurred on July 25, during Southwest Flight 1496, which departed from Hollywood Burbank Airport just before noon. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD According to a flight tracking website, the jet plummeted hundreds of feet in just over 30 seconds. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported that the crew was responding to an onboard alert about a nearby aircraft. The FAA is currently investigating the incident. Southwest Airlines explained that the crew reacted to two alerts, prompting the pilot to first climb and then descend. The airline noted that the flight proceeded to Las Vegas, 'where it landed uneventfully.' Southwest is collaborating with the FAA 'to further understand the circumstances' of the event.
News18
26-07-2025
- News18
US Plane Plunges 500 Feet In 'Freefall' To Dodge Mid-Air Collision: 'People Were Screaming'
Last Updated: A commercial Southwest Airlines jet suddenly plummeted 475 feet in about 10 seconds to avoid a mid-air collision with an Hawker Hunter plane. A commercial Southwest Airlines jet suddenly plummeted nearly 500 feet to avoid a possibly fatal mid-air collision, shortly after taking off from a Los Angeles airport on Friday, with a frightened passenger saying the aircraft was in a 'freefall". Southwest Flight 1496, a Boeing 737, dropped 475 feet – from 14,100 feet to 13,625 feet – just six minutes after taking off from Hollywood Burbank Airport, according to FlightRadar24 data. A passenger, identified as Steve Ulasewicz, told ABC News that the drastic step was carried out to avoid a mid-air collision. 'Felt a significant drop. The plane was just in a freefall. People were screaming. It was pandemonium," he said, adding that passengers screamed as the plane dropped for about 10 seconds. Comedian Jimmy Dore was on the flight, relaying that he and several other flyers were tossed about the cabin during the startling descent. 'Pilot had to dive aggressively to avoid midair collision over Burbank airport. Myself & Plenty of people flew out of their seats & bumped heads on the ceiling, a flight attendant needed medical attention," he said on X. 'Pilot said his collision warning went off & he needed to avoid plane coming at us." In a statement, Southwest said the flight continued to its destination of Las Vegas, 'where it landed uneventfully." The airline added that it is working with the Federal Aviation Administration 'to further understand the circumstances" of the event. The pilot told passengers in an onboard update after the scare that the plane used software to make the evasive move, according to Ulasewicz. 'Southwest Airlines Flight 1496 responded to an onboard alert that another aircraft was in the vicinity while in Los Angeles Air Route Traffic Control Center airspace," the FAA said. 'The FAA is investigating the event that occurred around 11 am local time on Friday, July 25." Another aircraft, a Hawker Hunter plane, was near the Southwest plane at approximately 14,633 feet. Southwest reported that two flight attendants sustained injuries during the urgent, life-saving manoeuvre, while all passengers remained unharmed, according to the New York Post. The pilots of the Hawker Hunter said they sighted the Southwest plane, but were not properly instructed by air traffic control, sources told ABC News. The plane is owned by Hunter Aviation International, a UK Military Aviation Authority, according to FlightRadar data. view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
22-07-2025
- Business Standard
Air India Group completes fuel control switch checks on Boeing planes
Air India and its low-cost subsidiary, Air India Express, have completed precautionary inspections of the locking mechanism of fuel control switches on all Boeing 787 and 737 aircraft in their fleets, complying with a directive issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on July 14. The DGCA's directive followed the preliminary report issued on July 12 by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) into the June 12 crash of Air India flight AI171, which killed 260 people. The report found that both engine fuel control switches on the Boeing 787 had transitioned from "Run" to "Cutoff" just seconds after takeoff from Ahmedabad, resulting in a dual engine failure. The cockpit voice recorder captured one pilot asking the other why the fuel was cut off, to which the other replied that he had not done it. A Mayday call was made shortly before the aircraft crashed into a building near the airport. In a statement issued on Tuesday, Air India said, 'Air India has completed precautionary inspections on the locking mechanism of the Fuel Control Switch (FCS) on all Boeing 787 and Boeing 737 aircraft in its fleet.' 'No issues were found with the said locking mechanism,' the airline said, adding that it had started voluntary inspections on July 12 and completed them within the prescribed time limit set by the DGCA. The airline has formally communicated this to the regulator. Although the exact cause of the switch movement on AI171 remains undetermined, the incident led the DGCA to issue a mandatory inspection order on July 14. The DGCA's order referenced a 2018 Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). That FAA bulletin had warned of the possibility that Honeywell-manufactured fuel control switches on certain Boeing aircraft — including the 737 and 787 — might be installed in a way that disables their locking mechanism, which is meant to prevent accidental switch movement from "Run" to "Cutoff." However, the FAA did not issue any fresh directive after the AI171 crash, and the 2018 SAIB remains advisory. The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has also stated that there is no need for any action by Boeing. Meanwhile, some foreign carriers, such as Singapore Airlines and Etihad Airways, conducted precautionary checks of their own accord. The DGCA's July 14 order required Indian operators of affected Boeing aircraft to complete inspections by July 21 and report back. Boeing 777s are exempt from the order as they do not use the switches under scrutiny. The DGCA order applied to Boeing fleets across five Indian carriers: Air India, Air India Express, IndiGo, SpiceJet, and Akasa Air.
