Indian Airlines Flight 814
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| Summary | |
|---|---|
| Date | December 24, 1999 |
| Type | Hijacking |
| Site | Hijacked between Kathmandu and Delhi, landed at Amritsar, Lahore, Dubai and Kandahar by 5 Pakistanis |
| Passengers | 174 |
| Crew | 15 |
| Fatalities | 1 |
| Survivors | 188 |
| Aircraft type | Airbus A300B2 |
| Operator | Indian Airlines |
| Tail number | VT-EDW |
| Flight origin | Tribhuvan International Airport |
| Destination | Indira Gandhi International Airport |
Indian Airlines Flight 814 (abbreviated IC-814) was a flight that was to fly from Kathmandu, Nepal's Tribhuvan International Airport to Delhi, India's Indira Gandhi International Airport. It was hijacked on Christmas Eve, Friday, December 24, 1999, shortly after the aircraft entered Indian airspace at about 5:30 p.m. Indian Standard Time by five Pakistani nationals. The hijackers stabbed 25-year-old Rupin Katyal, who later died of his injuries.[1] Ultimately, the plane landed in Afghanistan, where the hijackers agreed to release their hostages in exchange for the release of three Muslim extremists.
Contents |
[edit] The hijack
The Indian Airlines flight 814 (VT-EDW) was hijacked on the eve of Christmas on Friday, December 24, 1999, shortly after the aircraft entered Indian airspace at about 5:30 p.m. Indian Standard Time. The identities of the hijackers were[1]
- Ibrahim Athar
- Shahid Akhtar Sayed
- Sunny Ahmed Qazi
- Mistri Zahoor Ibrahim
- Shakir
Anil Sharma, senior flight steward on IC-814, later recalled that a masked, bespectacled man threatened to blow up the plane with a bomb and ordered Captain Devi Sharan to "fly West".[2] The hijackers wanted Captain Sharan to divert the aircraft over Lucknow and head towards Lahore, but Pakistani authorities quickly refused permission as they were wary of being linked with the terrorists. Also, the fuel was not sufficient. Captain Sharan told the hijackers that they have to land in Amritsar, India.[2]
[edit] Initial landings at Amritsar, Lahore and Dubai
After landing at Amritsar, the flight crew were hoping that they will get some assistance and the hijacking would end. They asked for a sniper or a sharpshooter to go along with the browser and shoot at the tires to disable the aircraft.[2] But, for unknown reasons that didn't happen. The local forces at Amritsar were told to wait for the National Security Guards.
The hijackers asked for the plane to be refueled. At first the Indian Government did not agree, but after the hijackers killed a passenger named Rupin Katyal, they agreed to refuel the plane in order to gain some time to formulate a strategy. However, for reasons unknown, the plane was not refueled. The hijackers threatened the crew that they would kill everyone on board if the captain did not take off within 30 seconds. The Indian special force National Security Guards were nowhere to be seen. Later on it was revealed, much to the embarrassment of Indian Government, that the elite commando units were stuck in traffic near Amritsar. Nevertheless, the Airbus A300 took off for Lahore with almost no fuel.
When the aircraft reached near Lahore the ATC did not allow the plane to land. Instead, lights and other navigational instruments were switched off. This act was criticized by many nations including Russia, U.S.A and U.K for being cowardly. As the aircraft approached Lahore the Pilot could see a straight row of Lights and started descending the aircraft. On descending further, the co-pilot noticed that it was not a runway but a road. The aircraft managed to gain height in time avoiding a crash. After this incident, the ATC gave the permission to land in Lahore. Eventually, IC 814 managed to safely land in Lahore.
A few seconds after touchdown, the right engine of the aircraft flamed out due to fuel starvation. The plane was quickly re-fueled and took-off, bound for Dubai, UAE. In Dubai some 25 passengers were released along with the body of Mr. Katyal. From UAE the plane headed for Afghanistan, then under the Islamic regime of the Taliban which was sympathetic to the hijackers.
[edit] Kandahar
The Taliban authorities initially refused to cooperate with Indian authorities to secure a release of the hostages. They also emphatically refused to allow Indian commandos to storm the plane. They refused the request to let Afghan commandos storm the plane, as well. Their plea was that they wouldn't allow a foreign military outfit to operate in Afghanistan and they themselves are not capable to undertake such an operation. (It has since been confirmed that this hijacking was carried out with the official support/complicity of the Taliban and the Al Qaeda). The Taliban encircled the plane with tanks and heavily armed militia in a bid to stop any forceful storming by Indian Special Forces. Negotiations opened up between the Indian embassy officials and the hijackers.
The Indian Negotiation team Plane also had some well armed equipped soldiers but they were not shown
It was only after a week had passed that the Indian government sent its special crisis group to Kandahar for serious negotiations. By that time the media outcry in India was so great that a quick resolution to this crisis was needed as a political face-saving exercise.
As a result the government accepted [2] the demand to release the following terrorists in exchange for the release of the passengers and crew of flight IC 814.
The erstwhile Indian foreign minister Jaswant Singh went personally to Kandahar to deliver the prisoners over to the hijackers and receive the passengers back in exchange for a safe passage to the hijackers.
[edit] Release of the hostages and crew
After negotiations between the India government and the hijackers, the hostages were freed eight days after the hijacking occurred.
On December 31, 1999, the freed hostages of the Indian Airlines Flight 814 were flown back to India on a special plane. The hijackers disappeared into Afghanistan in their vehicle before releasing a Taliban official they had taken hostage. One of the hijackers was allegedly killed while taking part in the attack on the Indian Parliament in 2002.
[edit] In popular culture
The Hindi movie Zameen is a Bollywood adaptation of the Flight IC 814 hijacking. In the movie, a flight by Indian Airways is hijacked to Pakistan-administered Kashmir by terrorists.
A documentary, with re-enactments, was made on this hijacking and was shown on National Geographic Channel. [3]
[edit] See also
- the book 173 Hours In Captivity
[edit] References
- ^ An eight-day ordeal
- ^ a b c How Govt lost the IC-814 hijack deal (2006-09-07). Retrieved on 2006-09-07.
[edit] External links
- Information on hijacked Indian Airlines Flight IC-814, Embassy of India
- Photographs of the Pakistani Hijackers
- My experiences aboard IC-814
- Indian Airlines Capt. Devi Sharan was awarded the 1999 Safe Skies Award
- Aziz hand seen in Kandahar hijacking
- IC-814 hijackers free birds in Pak
- IC-814 Captain becomes a celebrity in India
- Aviation Safety.net entry on the hijacking
