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Post by stevemacdonald on Feb 8, 2008 12:37:49 GMT
Woman wounds pilots on New Zealand plane
Fri Feb 8, 12:27 AM ET
WELLINGTON, New Zealand - A knife-wielding woman tried to hijack a regional domestic flight in New Zealand Friday, stabbing both pilots and threatening to blow up the twin-propeller plane before she was subdued, police said.
The wounded pilots were able to land the plane safety in Christchurch, causing chaos at the popular tourist city's airport as police and emergency crews rushed onto the tarmac to arrest the suspect, evacuate the six passengers and search the plane for bombs.
The airport was closed for about three hours.
Air New Zealand, the national carrier who operated the flight through a charter company, said it was reviewing security measures nationally following the incident. In New Zealand, passengers and their luggage on short haul flights are not subject to security checks.
Christchurch police Commander Dave Cliff said the 33-year-old woman, originally from Somalia, attacked the pilots about 10 minutes into the flight from the regional city of Blenheim, 40 miles south of the capital of Wellington, to Christchurch, about 220 miles south of the capital.
After the woman had been subdued, the pilots made emergency radio calls reporting that the attacker said there were two bombs aboard the plane, Cliff said.
Army and police bomb squads searched the plane and luggage on, but found no explosives.
During the ordeal, the woman demanded to be flown to Australia — a destination that was beyond the Jetstream aircraft's range.
The woman, who was not named, was charged with attempted hijacking, wounding and other offenses. She was due to appear in court in Christchurch on Saturday, police said.
The pilot suffered a severely cut hand in the attack, and the co-pilot was injured on the foot, Cliff said. One passenger suffered a minor hand injury caused by the attacker, Cliff said. He did not explain how the woman was subdued.
The passengers included four New Zealanders, an Australian and an Indian national.
"Today's incident, although a one-off, has naturally given us cause to conduct a thorough review of our safety and security systems and processes on regional domestic flights," said Air New Zealand's general manager of short-haul airlines, Bruce Parton.
New Zealand last year adopted legislation allowing armed air marshals on international flights, but only if other nation's required such measures. There are no marshals on domestic flights.
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Post by grant on Feb 8, 2008 14:45:12 GMT
Hi Steve Many thanks for providing a review of the scary incident on that domestic flight. It hasn't hit the news here yet, and I guess, may not. I always think though, that after such incidents, security will be tightened which, OK, may inconvenience a few pasengers but, inevitably, those passengers will now be much safer. That will no doubt include Hayley in the days to come.  Best wishes Grant |
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Post by stevemacdonald on Feb 8, 2008 18:50:14 GMT
... I always think though, that after such incidents, security will be tightened which, OK, may inconvenience a few passengers but, inevitably, those passengers will now be much safer. As long as they don't go overboard like they do at airports in the States, making young children remove their shoes for X-ray, patting down elderly women who look nothing like the 911-suspects, taking away our toothpaste and mouthwash. The inconvenience of it all is mind-boggling and gives you a sense that the terrorists have won. |
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Post by martindn on Feb 8, 2008 22:48:36 GMT
The problem is that no matter how much security there is, there are always ways round it. As someone who works in the airport business, I know that some airports are more stringent with their security than others, and these are usually the larger ones.
More than once I have personally been airside without any security checks at all, or on word of mouth when I forgot my ID. Other times I have had to take off shoes, belt and outer clothing, and even open a gift-wrapped package I had bought in the airport shops!
I know someone who once had a job testing airport security. He managed to smuggle quite a lot of stuff in including knives before he got caught (and once he had been caught that was the end of that job, since he was then known to the security personnel).
I sometimes think that the security procedures are there more as a reassurance to passengers than as a real deterrent to terrorists.
Martin
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Post by milewalker on Feb 9, 2008 1:49:18 GMT
Hello all,
I think, in part, this is cyclical. Immediately after an attack security is beefed up. After things calm down it tends to become more lax over time. There is also a human factor involved here Martin. All countries have security procedures in place to prevent this sort of thing - but getting the people involved to enforce them with any kind of uniformity over time is quite likely impossible. It doesnt matter what the job is - in any human endeavor, some people are simply better at it than others, and we generally only realize this when something fails.
In the end there is no economical way to provide absolute security. Just last night, in a suburb of St Louis, a disgruntled citizen killed six people at a city council meeting. He had been an active participant at those meetings for several years. He was very well known there - and short of having metal detectors at the doors (which also requires security personel to man them) there is probably no way that tragedy could have been prevented.
That municipality couldnt afford to do that.
Steve - this isnt the venue for a specific discussion of the issue you raised above, except to say that you make a valid point. I am not going to comment on the pros and cons of confiscating our toothpaste - but I think it is fair to say that they call it terrorism for a reason....
I would actually be surprised if the security measures in New Zealand are vamped up that much because of this incident - or if they are that it lasts very long.
Jon
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Post by Dori on Feb 10, 2008 9:31:59 GMT
Hello Jon,
New Zealand is fairly relaxed with their security, mainly because we've never had a problem - up until now, that is. I'm not sure what's going to happen after this. It is a very scary situation, but the woman does have a history of unstibility. So all in all, I guess you could say it's not so much surprising as it is a shock, because things like this just don't ever happen in New Zealand. I hope they never will again...
It will be interesting to see what happens after this. I'm not so sure if I'm looking forward to it though.
Dori
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Post by postscript on Feb 11, 2008 16:19:15 GMT
Your post 4, Milewalker is that New Zealand may regard itself as US used to regard itself--as inviable. NZ has a greater cause to believe that because it is 'so damned nice' (so it is believed I've not made the trip--YET!) and what benefit is there to anyone trying anything?
The most that NZ had got itself worked up over is Japan's whaling. Australia is a little more macho but really the antipodes are 'lost in their own little world'. Publicity is the name of the game basically behind all these attacks and what publicity gain is there for the majority of the world from terrorising the outposts--and I don't mean that unkindly but that is why Hayley is here in the UK! If it wasn't for world promotion she'd be much happier back home!
Peter S.
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Post by spiderman on Feb 27, 2008 4:07:33 GMT
more security? i doubt it , i flew from hamilton to queenstown and wanaka to hamilton without being x-rayed once. you'd think a hijacker would at least cause something more than concern in the media.
spiderman
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Post by postscript on Feb 28, 2008 19:03:15 GMT
more security? i doubt it , i flew from hamilton to queenstown and wanaka to hamilton without being x-rayed once. you'd think a hijacker would at least cause something more than concern in the media. spiderman That is of concern. It implies that 'nice' New Zealand is as America was before 9/11. Pre-9/11 one hopped on and off planes with the casual indifference off London buses (the RT model with the open platform). I do hope NZ is not being comatose to reality but then, NZ's reality (and Oz for that matter) ARE in a different world and arguably doing anything outrageous wouldn't attract the publicity if in Paris or Heathrow. However, as those citadels become more impregnable (supposedly by the ease with which certain fools accessed the roof of parliament the other day) so terrorists will look to anywhere to achieve something. It is rather worrying. Peter S. |
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Post by grant on Feb 28, 2008 22:29:59 GMT
London buses (the RT model with the open platform) Sorry Peter, I have to correct you (even at the risk of being off topic) but the faithfull RT departed many moons ago. I think you refer to the RM/RML 'Routemaster' (of which I am a lifelong fan) a few of which can still be seen on a couple of tourist routes. Best wishes Grant |
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Post by spiderman on Feb 28, 2008 23:14:08 GMT
hi peter, everyone...
it actualy gets scarier. after 9-11, air new zealand had security installed at major airports, x-ray machines, guards etc. minor airports like wanaka werent secured cos its too expensive. wanaka for example has 28 passengers a day. the "security" was in response to american policy on screening passengers, it was never about passenger security here.
since obviusly, noone on a beech1900d is in danger of flying to the USA, there is no need for passenger screening. passengers for the USA will be xrayed at the first major airport they fly through.
we have had only 2 hijackings, one a 737 during the fijian coup of 1987, the other prompted this thread. we, as a nation feel safe from domestic threats and so noone has ever considered these sorts of issues.
worse yet, if you were a hijacker you could choose to fly on small planes that wont involve ever going through a screening. air nz flights numbers are dependant on which subsidary you are flying on, and each subsidary owns a particular type of plane [eg., 2130 is a beech 1900d owned by eagle air, as is every other 2000 flight number].
flying in NZ is a hijacking waiting to happen.
the spiderman
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Post by postscript on Feb 29, 2008 17:09:02 GMT
London buses (the RT model with the open platform) Sorry Peter, I have to correct you (even at the risk of being off topic) but the faithfull RT departed many moons ago. I think you refer to the RM/RML 'Routemaster' (of which I am a lifelong fan) a few of which can still be seen on a couple of tourist routes. Best wishes Grant Don't want to pick a fight with you--who wants to pick a fight with anyone on HWI?!  --but I thought the RMs were the ones with the closing doors and the stairs a third of the way down from the driver's seat? I feel sure I've seen the RT on one of the special sightseeing tours, but could be wrong. Peter S. |
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Post by grant on Feb 29, 2008 18:37:56 GMT
but I thought the RMs were the ones with the closing doors and the stairs a third of the way down from the driver's seat? I feel sure I've seen the RT on one of the special sightseeing tours, but could be wrong. Hi Peter Knew I had one somewhere! This is an RM  The RT was London Transport's version of the AEC Regent III - which the RM/RML fleet ultimately replaced. Best wishes Grant P.S. Hope 'The Mods. don't notice we're off topic again!!  |
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Post by postscript on Feb 29, 2008 19:03:28 GMT
but I thought the RMs were the ones with the closing doors and the stairs a third of the way down from the driver's seat? I feel sure I've seen the RT on one of the special sightseeing tours, but could be wrong. Hi Peter Knew I had one somewhere! This is an RM The RT was London Transport's version of the AEC Regent III - which the RM/RML fleet ultimately replaced. Best wishes Grant P.S. Hope 'The Mods. don't notice we're off topic again!! Well you can always transfer it to 'Photography' but okay, you've made your point rather well. However, while I am something of a sentimentalist the last time I road a double-decker was one with the very big windows and I must say it really enhances the view. And what was the number of the version where the upstairs had the corridor along the side with bench seats covering the rest of the width? Peter S. |
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Post by Richard on Mar 1, 2008 8:43:15 GMT
Perhaps Rodders can help bring this thread back on topic. Are there any RMs to be found in New Zealand? If there are it's very scary news, because one of our bus drivers must have got seriously lost. That happens a lot here in London! i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gifRichard |
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