Flight crew accidentally hits plane's 'hijack' button, panic ensues


Stories that begin with a distress call from an airplane don't often end happily, or with a spot of humor. When Saudi Arabian Airlines Flight SV872 sent up an alarm saying it had been hijacked as it approached its landing in Manila on Tuesday, the Philippines naturally responded with full mobilization; as soon as the plane touched down, it was immediately isolated. But as it turned out, there was no on-board attack. The flight crew had merely pushed the "hijack" button on accident, The Associated Press reports:
Manila airport manager Eddie Monreal and other officials said Flight SV872 from Jiddah made the distress call about 30 miles (48 kilometres) from the airport. Airport authorities asked for a verification of the emergency message and the flight crew confirmed the distress call twice, he said. It was not immediately clear how the confirmation was made, he said.However, the captain later told the control tower that a button indicating that a hijacking was in progress had been pushed accidently, Monreal said. [The Associated Press]
The 410 passengers on board, many of whom were returning from the annual hajj pilgrimage, were finally allowed to disembark when it became clear there was no danger.
Still, it's always better to be safe than sorry: Security has been upped in the Philippines surrounding Saudi Arabian Airlines after officials received intelligence of a possible threat last February.
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
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