Narrative:About 20 minutes after take off, four men armed with pistols and a bomb required the pilot to fly the aircraft to Bourgas, Bulgaria.
After landing they released 19 passengers. They demanded the release of 47 prisoners in jail in Turkey and $500,000. They threatened to kill the five U.S. citizens aboard and to blow up the aircraft. Eight more passengers were released during the two days of negotiations but no demands were met. On May 25 two hijackers deplaned to hold a press conference and were taken into custody by Bulgarian authorities.
The other two hijackers were overpowered by passengers. During the struggle, the two hijackers and four passengers were injured.
Hijackers sentenced to 3 years in prison in Bulgaria.
Classification:
Hijack
Sources:
» Abdullah Nergiz (E-mail, 30-6-2010)
Photos
This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.