Latest news with #TropicAirBelize
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Yahoo
Knife-Wielding American Citizen Shot and Killed After Hijacking Plane in Belize
A U.S. citizen allegedly hijacked a small plane at knifepoint in Belize on Thursday, April 17, according to police. Akinyela Sawa Taylor, 49, allegedly hijacked a Tropic Air Belize plane and was one of 14 passengers, officials said, per ABC News. The plane was traveling from Corozal to San Pedro. Around 8:30 a.m., Taylor took control of the plane before takeoff because he wanted more fuel so he could leave Belize. However, the aircraft circled for hours before landing safely at Ladyville airport. During the flight, Taylor allegedly stabbed two passengers, Fitzgerald Brown and Jair Castañeda, and the pilot, Howell Grange. One of the passengers who had a licensed firearm shot Taylor as the plane landed. The injured passengers and pilot survived. However, they were airlifted to a hospital for treatment. Taylor was also taken to the hospital, but he was pronounced dead on arrival, per Newsweek. Taylor was refused entry into the country over the weekend, so officials are investigating how he entered Belize, police said. He was a military veteran and former football coach at McCluer North High School in Florissant, Mo., per Reuters. Related: The True Story of Hijack '93: Why 4 Young Men Hijacked a Nigerian Plane in 1993 — And Where They Are Now U.S. Embassy spokesperson Luke Martin in Belize said that Taylor was insistent on returning to the U.S., adding that the embassy is working with local police. 'We don't know why he wanted to go back to the United States," Martin said, per Newsweek. During a press briefing on Thursday, U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce called the incident "horrifying." "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. Clearly, we know a few details. We don't know much more," Bruce said. Belize's Commissioner of Police Chester Williams said at a press conference that the incident 'is something that is going to be discussed intensively at the next national security council meeting,' per ABC News. Williams added that the pilot did an "exceptional job" in the dangerous situation. Related: New Evidence Discovered in D.B. Cooper Skyjacking Case Uncovers 'a Compelling Person of Interest' Tropic Air Belize CEO Maximillian Greif echoed Williams' sentiment, calling the pilot's actions "nothing short of heroic,' per ABC News. "Our pilots undergo rigorous training to respond effectively and efficiently to any situation, and today we pause to recognize the bravery, skill and leadership that brought our aircraft home safely,' Greif said, adding that the company is offering "all available support" to the injured passengers. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Representatives for the Belize Airport Concession Company, the U.S. State Department and Tropic Air Belize did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for more information on Thursday. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Yahoo
American citizen killed by passenger while trying to hijack plane in Belize
An American citizen was shot and killed by a passenger Thursday during his attempt to hijack a plane in Belize. The incident occurred aboard a Tropic Air Belize flight with 13 other passengers onboard when Akinyela Sawa Taylor tried to take over the aircraft at knifepoint after it took off from Corozal toward Belize City. He demanded more fuel for the plane and to be taken out of the country, according to police. Taylor had previously been refused entry to Belize and it remains under investigation how he boarded the plane. As the flight circled while depleting fuel, a Belizean passenger carrying a licensed gun shot Taylor in the chest, local police said, according to ABC News. That person remains in critical condition after being stabbed in the back and lungs. Two others also suffered knife wounds in the chaos, though their current conditions are unclear. The plane landed safely nearly two hours later at an airport just outside Belize City, and was moments from running out of fuel, officials said. 'Earlier today, a Tropic Air flight faced a serious and unprecedented in-flight emergency,' Tropic Air CEO Maximillian Greif said in a statement. '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.' Belize Commissioner of Police Chester Williams told local journalists the plane was followed by a helicopter in case a quick rescue operation needed to be mounted in the event of a crash. The U.S. Embassy in Belize said it was working with local officials in their investigation.
CBS News
17-04-2025
- CBS News
American shot dead after hijacking small plane in Belize
A U.S. veteran was fatally shot after he hijacked a small passenger plane in Belize on Thursday, officials in Belize and the U.S. confirmed. After the Tropic Air Belize plane carrying 14 passengers and two crew members landed safely, police in Belize identified the man as Akinyela Taylor. Chester Williams, Belize police commissioner, said that Taylor wielded a knife and stabbed three passengers on the plane. Those people were later taken to the hospital to treat their injuries. Williams said that Taylor was shot by a passenger who was licensed to carry a firearm, which he later turned over to police. The passenger was among those stabbed and remains in critical condition as he was stabbed in the back and lungs, according to the police commissioner. U.S. Embassy spokesperson Luke Martin confirmed that Taylor was a U.S. citizen. He said U.S. officials did not know the cause or motive but were working with Belizean authorities. "Earlier today, a Tropic Air flight faced a serious and unprecedented in-flight emergency," Tropic Air CEO Maximillian Greif said in a stament. "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." The plane was traveling from Corozal to San Pedro and Belize authorities declared a full emergency after the hijacking, which took place at around 8:30 a.m. local time, according to a statement by the Belize Airport Concession Company. The plane circled in random directions for hours until landing safely in an airport in the coastal town of Ladyville. All passengers were accounted for, according to the BACC, and those injured were flown to a hospital for treatment.
