Belize plane hijacking ends with safe landing, injured passenger fatally shoots attacker

A U.S. citizen hijacked a domestic flight in Belize on Thursday, stabbing two passengers and the pilot with a sharp object. The flight which remained in the air for around two hours, eventually landed safely. Upon landing, the hijacker was shot by one of the victims who despite suffering critical injuries, managed to fatally shoot the attacker. 

As per reports, a Tropic Air Belize plane was travelling from Corozal to San Pedro when the hijacking took place. There were around 14 passengers onboard the aircraft when the hijacker took control of the flight at the knifepoint. 

Who hijacked the plane?

 Notably, the hijacker has been identified as 49-year-old Akinyela Sawa Taylor. He was a U.S. citizen and a military veteran. According to his records, he had previously worked as a teacher and football coach at McCluer North High School in Florissant, Missouri.

After the flight landed safely at the airport, the Belizean authorities revealed that Taylor had recently been denied legal entry into Belize at the northern border just a few days earlier. Though it still remained unclear that how the hijacker managed to re-enter the nation and board the plane with a knife. 

What did Akinyela Sawa Taylor demand after hijacking plane?

After hijacking the plane, Taylor demanded to be taken out of the country. Along with that he also demanded more fuel for the plane. There are several questions including, what were his motives? How did he get into the country? Where was he planning to go? All these questions and queries remain unsolved with Taylor’s death. 

The officials noted that they are working and are aiming to assess the situation thoroughly with a vision to determine the true motives behind Taylor’s actions. 

Who got injured in the hijack incident?

As per reports, three people got injured, including Jair Castaneda - a manager at Tropic Air, Howell Grange - the flight’s pilot, and Fitzgerald Brown - the passenger who shot the hijacker. One of them was stabbed in the back, and suffered a puncture to his lungs, and is now in a critical condition. 

Both Castaneda and Brown are currently at the Belize Medical Associates with cut wounds. The nationalities of both these individuals have not been identified yet. Meanwhile, Grange, the wounded pilot had to undergo an operation at Belize Healthcare Partners.

Officials reacted on the incident

The US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce called the incident ‘horrifying’ and praised the passengers and the crew members for their bravery. “We are grateful -- I think all of us are -- that that did not turn into a mass casualty event with, I believe over a dozen people on the plane," noted Bruce. 

The Tropic Air Belize CEO Maximillian Greif also praised the pilot and described his actions, “nothing short of heroic" and said it is offering "all available support" to the injured passengers. "Our pilots undergo rigorous training to respond effectively and efficiently to any situation, and today we pause to recognize the bravery, skill and leadership that brought our aircraft home safely," Greif said.