Philippine Airlines Flight 116

Philippine Airlines Flight 116

A Philippine Airlines BAC 1-11, similar to the one involved
Accident
Date	May 23, 1976
Summary	Hijacking
Site	Zamboanga International Airport, Zamboanga City, Philippines
Aircraft
Aircraft type	BAC One-Eleven-527FK
Operator	Philippine Airlines
Registration	RP-C1161
Flight origin	Francisco Bangoy International Airport, Davao City, Philippines
Destination	Manila International Airport, Philippines
Passengers	82
Crew	5
Fatalities	13
Injuries	23
Survivors	74

Philippine Airlines Flight 116 was a domestic flight operated by Philippine Airlines that departed from Francisco Bangoy International Airport in Davao to Manila International Airport. On May 21, 1976, six passengers stormed the plane and diverted it to Zamboanga Airport where it was met by the military and the police. Negotiations between the hijackers and the police continued until May 23, 1976, when authorities attempted to storm the plane. A gun battle broke out and grenades were thrown, setting it on fire. 10 passengers and 3 of the 6 hijackers died in the storming.^[1][2][3]

Hijacking

On May 21, 1976, the BAC One-Eleven operating as Flight 116 took off from Davao City to Manila International Airport at 2:30 p.m. (local time) when six armed passengers from Makati and the Moro Liberation Front announced that they would be hijacking the plane, only 10 minutes after departure. Three hijackers were armed with grenades, while two were armed with a .45 caliber pistol, and one with a .22 caliber.

The hijackers ordered the pilots to fly to Libya, wanting to seek asylum there imitating a successful PAL that took place in April that same year.

However, the captain negotiated with the leader (known as Commander Zapata) stating that the aircraft was unfit for flying long distances because of fuel, so Zapata ordered him to fly to Sabah. With the same explanation, he reluctantly ordered the aircraft to divert to Zamboanga.

Upon landing in Zamboanga at around 3:00 p.m., the aircraft was immediately met with two armored cars parked towards the front of the jet.

The hijackers demanded a ransom of $375,000 and a larger plane to fly them to Libya, threatening to blow up the jet if their demands were not met by the Philippine government and the airline. Negotiations lasted for a day while the police and military monitored the situation. At one point, there were plans that authorities would enter the plane disguised as the relatives of the hostages. The next day, 5 women and 9 children were released in exchange for food and water, however none of the passengers were said to have been served anything until May 23.

May 23 - the shootout

The Armed Forces of the Philippines was deployed to settle the situation, and consisted of units from Philippine National Police Aviation Security Group and the Philippine Constabulary. Only a few military vehicles were on standby including two Cadillac Gage Commandos., and the operation was led by General Mariano E. Castaneda Jr.^[4]

The two V150 AFVs formerly parked in front of the aircraft was now pushed against the cockpit and other vital areas, however one of them rammed the jet, causing panic amongst the hijackers and setting grenades off in the cabin.

Authorities stormed into the plane and a gun battle was ensued, which lasted for hours. Grenades exploded in the cabin, setting the plane on fire. Three hijackers and ten passengers were killed during the shooting while another 23 were injured, most of them during the evacuation. The three surviving hijackers were soon arrested and were executed by a firing squad.

The aircraft was written off, and was the Armed Forces of the Philippines' first anti-hijacking operation.

A former passenger filed a lawsuit against Philippine Airlines in 1990 - the case was then dismissed.^[5]

Aircraft

The aircraft was a BAC One-Eleven Series 500 manufactured in Hurn with a test registration of G-AYOS. Its first flight was in 1970 and was delivered to Philippine Airlines in 1971 as PI-C1161. In 1974 it was re-registered to RP-C1161.

References