Pilot who mistakenly sparked hijack situation could face punishment
Sunday, 21 Sep, 2016
0
A pilot who twice wrongly pressed a distress button causing a security alert at Manila Airport could face punishment by airport authorities.
The Saudi Airways Airlines pilot pressed the distress button by mistake 20 minutes before landing and was advised to land the airplane at an isolated part of the airport with authorities fearing a hijack situation.
Twenty minutes later the pilot said it had been a mistake.
"There was an error in the communication signal after the crew of the aircraft pressed the hijack button twice, sending the distress calls and signalling they were under threat," said airport general manager Ed Monreal.
The aircraft was carrying 410 people including 21 crew members and all were held on the plane until the all-clear was given.
Both the airline and Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines have started investigations.
"Apparently the pilot committed an error activating the signal,’ a statement from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines said.
"Appropriate penalties and sanctions will be imposed on the erring pilot if the result is indeed a human error."
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Clearing CSS/JS assets' cache... Please wait until this notice disappears...
Updating... Please wait...
CCS Insight: eSIMs ready to take the travel world by storm
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season