Philippine Airlines Flight 116

A Philippine Airlines BAC 1-11, similar to the one involved
Accident
Date	May 23, 1976
Summary	Hijacking
Site	Zamboanga International Airport, Philippines
Aircraft
Aircraft type	BAC One-Eleven-527FK
Operator	Philippine Airlines
Registration	RP-C1161
Flight origin	Francisco Bangoy International Airport, Philippines
Destination	Manila International Airport, Philippines
Passengers	82
Crew	5
Fatalities	13
Injuries	23
Survivors	74

Philippine Airlines Flight 116 was a domestic flight operated by Philippine Airlines that departed from Francisco Bangoy International Airport in Davao to Manila International Airport. On May 21, 1976, six passengers stormed the plane and diverted it to Zamboanga Airport where it was met by the military and the police. Negotiations between the hijackers and the police continued until May 23, 1976, when authorities attempted to storm the plane. A gun battle broke out and grenades were thrown, setting it on fire. 10 passengers and 3 of the 6 hijackers died in the storming.^[1][2]

Background

On May 21, 1976, the BAC One-Eleven operating as Flight 116 was cruising en route to Manila International Airport when six armed passengers stormed into the cockpit and demanded the pilots to divert to Zamboanga. The pilots agreed, and landed nearly an hour later. Upon landing, authorities found out about the situation and police were called to negotiate with the hijackers.

The hijackers demanded a ransom of $375,000 (PH₱ 19,897,500) and a plane to fly them to Libya. Negotiations lasted for a day while the police and military monitored the situation. At one point, there were plans that authorities would enter the plane disguised as the relatives of the hostages. The next day, 5 women and 9 children were released in exchange for food and water.

On May 23, two days after the hijacking, authorities stormed into the plane and a gun battle was ensued, which lasted for hours. Grenades exploded in the cabin, setting the plane on fire. Three hijackers and ten passengers were killed during the shooting while another 23 were injured, most of them during the evacuation. The three surviving hijackers were soon arrested and were executed by a firing squad.

The aircraft was written off.

Aircraft

The aircraft was a BAC One-Eleven Series 500 manufactured in Hurn with a test registration of G-AYOS. Its first flight was in 1970 and was delivered to Philippine Airlines in 1971 as PI-C1161. In 1974 it was re-registered to RP-C1161.

References