Narrative:Approximately twenty minutes after takeoff, a male passenger stopped briefly from the rear lavatory and handed a note to a passenger to provide the note to a crew member. The note indicated that he wanted the flight diverted to Cuba or he would blow up the aircraft. The pilot was advised and diverted the aircraft to Cuba. The hijacker remained in the lavatory the entire trip. He held a plastic box approximately two
to three inches in diameter with a nine volt battery taped to the side. The purported
bomb also had several wires extending from the box. After landing at Havana, Cuba. authorities boarded the aircraft and took the hijacker and his possessions into custody.
Classification:
Hijack
Photos
Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does
not display the exact flight path.
Distance from New York-John F. Kennedy International Airport, NY to Saint Thomas Airport as the crow flies is 2601 km (1625 miles).
Accident location: Approximate; accuracy within a few kilometers.
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.