Philippine Airlines Flight 812
.jpg) A Philippine Airlines Airbus A330-301, similar to the one involved. | |
| Hijacking summary | |
|---|---|
| Date | May 25, 2000 |
| Summary | Aircraft hijacking and armed robbery of passengers |
| Site | Over Antipolo, Rizal, Philippines |
| Passengers | 278 (including hijacker) |
| Crew | 13 |
| Fatalities | 1 (Hijacker) |
| Injuries (non-fatal) | 0 |
| Survivors | 290 (all excluding the hijacker) |
| Aircraft type | Airbus A330-301 |
| Operator | Philippine Airlines |
| Registration | Unknown |
| Flight origin | Francisco Bangoy International Airport |
| Destination | Ninoy Aquino International Airport |
Philippine Airlines Flight 812 was a scheduled passenger flight from Francisco Bangoy International Airport in Davao City to Ninoy Aquino International Airport near Manila. On May 25, 2000, an Airbus A330-301 operating on the route was hijacked by a man later identified as Reginald Chua,[1] just before the airplane was about to land. The flight carried 278 passengers and 13 crew members.
The hijacker had a gun and a hand grenade.[2] He fired a gun into a bulkhead and demanded to be let into the cockpit.[2] When access was refused, he then demanded the passengers place their valuables in a bag before he commanded the pilot to descend and depressurize the aircraft so that he could escape by a homemade parachute. Since it did not have a rip cord, one was made with a curtain sash on the aircraft.[2] Before he was about to jump, he was not able to overcome the gust of wind from the plane's open rear door, and a flight attendant helped him jump out of the plane.[2]
The hijacker was wearing a ski mask and swimming goggles when he jumped out of the plane together with the valuables he had stolen while the plane was flying at an altitude of 1,800 meters over Antipolo, Rizal. Officials initially identified him as "Augusto Lakandula", based on the name on his ticket. The pilot expressed skepticism that the hijacker would have survived the jump.[2]
Three days after the hijacking, the hijacker was found dead, his body nearly buried in the mud, in the village of Llabac, in Real, Quezon, about 70 kilometers southeast of Manila, near the border with Laguna province. It is speculated that he survived the fall, but drowned shortly after landing. Through his driver's license, "Lakandula" was finally correctly identified as Reginald Chua.
In popular culture
The incident is referenced in the 2013 British film Metro Manila. The film's protagonist Oscar Ramirez (Jake Macapagal) tells the story of Alfred Santos, a textile factory owner who lost his father to a gang hired by a rival factory. Having forced to shut down his business due to continuous threats by his rival, Santos hijacked an airliner and ordered the passengers to surrender their money and valuables before jumping off the plane to his death.
References
- ↑ "Brother says Philippine hijacker wanted to be a skydiver". Associated Press. 2000-05-30. Retrieved 2010-11-24.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Philippines hijacker bails out". BBC News. 2000-05-25. Retrieved 2010-11-25.