{"id":12028,"date":"2016-09-21T09:47:11","date_gmt":"2016-09-21T09:47:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/?p=12028"},"modified":"2016-09-21T09:47:11","modified_gmt":"2016-09-21T09:47:11","slug":"flight-crew-accidentally-pushes-hijack-distress-button-twice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/world-news\/flight-crew-accidentally-pushes-hijack-distress-button-twice.html","title":{"rendered":"Flight crew accidentally pushes hijack distress button twice"},"content":{"rendered":"

Flight crew accidentally pushes hijack distress button twice<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

Flight crew accidentally pushes hijack distress button twice<\/strong> :MANILA, Philippines \u2014 The flight crew of a Saudi Arabian Airlines plane mistakenly pressed a hijack warning button as it approached Manila\u2019s airport on Tuesday, causing airport officials to mobilize security forces and isolate the jet after it landed, Philippine officials said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Manila airport manager Eddie Monreal and other officials said Flight SV872 from Jiddah made the distress call about 30 miles (48 kilometers) from the airport.<\/span><\/p>\n

Airport authorities asked for a verification of the emergency message and the flight crew confirmed the distress call twice, he said. It was not immediately clear how the confirmation was made, he said.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, the captain later told the control tower that a button indicating that a hijacking was in progress had been pushed accidentally, Monreal said.<\/span><\/p>\n

He said the Boeing 777 was isolated after it landed and security personnel were deployed as a precaution.<\/span><\/p>\n

The passengers were later allowed to disembark.<\/span><\/p>\n

Some of those coming off the plane were dressed in white, likely indicating that they were returning from the annual hajj pilgrimage, a ritual required of all able-bodied Muslims once in a lifetime.<\/span><\/p>\n

The 71-year-old airline, which operates 119 planes, does brisk business during the hajj, which reached its climax last week.<\/span><\/p>\n

Monreal said the plane was carrying 410 passengers and 21 crew members.<\/span><\/p>\n

The incident came after Philippine officials in February announced they had strengthened security for Saudi Arabia\u2019s embassy in Manila and its national airline because of a possible threat. At the time, officials also said additional armed officers were posted in the boarding area for the Saudi flag carrier and to guard the airline\u2019s luggage.<\/span><\/p>\n

It did not elaborate on the threat. However, it came as the Sunni-ruled kingdom has been on increasingly hostile terms with Shiite power Iran.<\/span><\/p>\n

Source<\/strong> : http:\/\/nypost.com\/2016\/09\/20\/flight-crew-accidentally-pushes-hijack-distress-button-twice\/<\/span><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t <\/div><\/div>\n\t\t