Tirana Hijack: Crew Interview
was, there was no panic amongst turn. At least I knew he had an
passengers as they hadn’t realised appreciation of avionics. He was
they had been hijacked. eventually convinced. We landed on
PB: Did you ever doubt that the runway 14.
Captain was at the controls of the PB: Reports indicate that you were
aircraft? escorted in by the Italian Air Force?
ND: No. I didn’t think the hijacker was MG: I’m told that we were escorted
suicidal, even though he did not respond in by four F-16s, but on the ground I
to my chimes. However, I was concerned only actually saw two of them. I had
that a bomb might explode or we might kept telling air traffic control that I was
crash. We continued to try to identify in control so that they didn’t shoot us
whether there were any collaborators on down. That was my biggest concern. I
board, but couldn’t find any likely kept saying that the hijacker was
sleepers. cooperative and would surrender once
PB: Why didn’t you respond to we had landed and that he just wanted
Nazenin’s chimes? to send a message to the Pope. I
MG: Ekinci wouldn’t allow me to repeated that communication every 15
communicate with the cabin crew. I to 20 minutes.
thought that there were three hijackers PB: What happened once you had
on board and that two had control of landed?
Chief Flight Attendant Nazenin the cabin, so the only announcement I MG: We landed safely and he then
Donder
could make was to all the passengers – said he wanted political asylum. I asked
knew the aircraft had actually been when I told them the runway was him about the others. He said, “No, just
hijacked? closed in Istanbul. Ekinci kept checking me; they will surrender but I want
ND: I had chosen not to use the the cabin through the fish eye in the political asylum”. I communicated that
intercom to tell the other crew what door as if to ensure that the cabin was to the tower.
was happening in case the hijacker in in control. However, just before landing PB: So, how long did it take for the
the cockpit was monitoring what was in Brindisi, he did allow me to answer situation to be resolved?
being said. I didn’t want to panic him. one of Nazenin’s chimes. All I said to MG: Two hours passed and nobody
Also, I didn’t know how many hijackers her was, “Everything is safe; it’s under showed up! Nothing happened. They
there were. I actually suspected, partly my control. Do what they say and we were not used or prepared to receive a
because of our training, that there may will land in Brindisi. Once we have hijacked aircraft. The control tower
have been others on-board…sleepers. landed give the passengers anything kept telling us that, “higher
So, I walked to the back of the aircraft they want”. authorities are coming”. They also
and told them the situation. None of PB: How familiar were you with the kept asking us if there were Italians
the crew panicked. airport in Brindisi? on board. It gradually got dark and we
PB: How did the other crew describe MG: Not at all, although I knew the were surrounded by police cars, fire
Ekinci’s behaviour before he followed you area from my days in the Air Force. I
into the cockpit? asked my First Officer to set up charts
ND: They said he had been acting for an approach to Brindisi charts, but
normally and that, when he got up, he we didn’t have them. So, I checked the
acted as if he was waiting to go to the map and found the Brindisi frequency
toilet. He was an excellent actor. and managed to contact the tower. I
PB: Did you continue with your normal told them that we had been hijacked
inflight service? and were approaching. He gave me
ND: No. I told them to stop serving their runways and the VOR
food. I didn’t expect many complaints approaches available; I designed an
as it was during Ramadan and, given approach plate in case of a loss of
that it was a daytime flight, few of the communication.
passengers were eating anyway. I told PB: What concerns did Ekinci have
them that, if asked by passengers, about your communication with the
they could say that turbulence was tower?
expected. For that reason, we also MG: He was still worried that we
said that the toilets could not be were heading to Turkey. He looked out
used. I’m not sure that the of the windows and saw mountains
passengers realised which direction and thought that we were approaching
they were actually flying as we were Ankara rather than Italy. I told him to
operating a Boeing 737-400 which calm down and look at the heading,
did not have the airshow. Had we the map, the location of Tirana and
been on the 737-800 they would have the location of Rome and I showed
seen where they were headed. As it him that we had made a 180-degree Captain Mürsel Gökalp
10 April 2007 Aviationsecurityinternational
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52