Ansett Australia Flight 232

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Ansett Australia Flight 232
VH-FNI F.50 Ansett-Skywest Al PER 29SEP99 (6874863317).jpg
Ansett Australia Fokker F-27 VH-FNI
Hijacking
Date15 November 1972
SummaryHijacking
SiteAlice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia
Aircraft typeFokker Friendship
OperatorAnsett Australia
RegistrationVH-FNI
Flight originAdelaide, South Australia, Australia
DestinationAlice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia
Passengers28
Crew4
Fatalities1
Injuries1
Survivors31

Ansett Australia Flight 232, on Wednesday, 15 November 1972, was a trip from Adelaide, South Australia aboard a Fokker Friendship bound for Alice Springs, Northern Territory. It was Australia's second aircraft hijacking (after the first in 1960), and resulted in the perpetrator's death by suicide.

A male passenger, subsequently identified as Miloslav Hrabinec, a Czech migrant, had boarded the flight in Adelaide with a concealed sawn-off .22 ArmaLite rifle and a sheath knife strapped to his leg. About a half-hour before the scheduled landing time, as the flight was making its descent into Alice Springs Airport, he emerged from the lavatory, produced the gun and said to a flight attendant named Kaye Goreham, "This is a hijack". Hrabinec then forced his way into the cockpit, however the captain informed Hrabinec that he was unable to speak to him as he was too busy landing the plane. Hrabinec was informed by Goreham that he needed to be seated for landing and he complied. After the plane landed police commenced negotiations with the hijacker. According to Goreham's account, Hrabinec stated his motive was not financial (he asked for no money) but that he wanted to commit suicide in a spectacular way by parachuting into a remote location and surviving for as long as he could before killing himself. To this end he demanded a light aircraft, a parachute and a jumpsuit.[1]

A civilian pilot and flying instructor, the local Aero Club manager Ossie Watts, volunteered himself and his Cessna aircraft. An undercover police constable Paul Sandeman, posing as Watts' navigator, was also on board the Cessna. According to Kaye Goreham, Hrabinec became suspicious upon seeing Sandeman and requested Goreham search Sandeman for weapons. Goreham did so but did not inform the hijacker when she felt a small firearm Sandeman had hidden. Goreham states that the policeman "went for his gun" and the hijacker shot Sandeman in the hand and stomach. Sandeman was also shot in the right shoulder and left arm. The hijacker ran off and Watts, who had been shown how to use a gun minutes earlier, began shooting. Police marksmen also opened fire and Hrabinec was wounded. Hrabinec then retreated to a ditch where he fatally shot himself.[1][2]

Hrabinec was not identified as the hijacker until May 1973.[3]

Constable Sandeman was awarded the Queen's Commendation for Bravery.[1][4][5]

See also[]

Notes[]

  1. ^ a b c Laurie, Victoria (11 August 2011). "Time Capsule: Hijack in Alice Springs". The Australian. Archived from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 28 October 2021.
  2. ^ "Police shoot hijacker". The Age. 16 November 1972. p. 1. Retrieved 27 April 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "Policeman identifies Czech as hijacker". The Sydney Morning Herald. 1 May 1973. p. 2. Retrieved 27 April 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ Lollback, Rebecca (31 July 2007). "Nightmare of skies unfolds". The Centralian Advocate. p. 26. Retrieved 27 April 2021 – via Territory Stories.
  5. ^ Dillon, Meagan (19 December 2010). "Mystery hijacker shot hero". Sunday Territorian. p. 46. Retrieved 27 April 2021 – via Territory Stories.

References[]

Coordinates: 23°48′08.43″S 133°54′02.92″E / 23.8023417°S 133.9008111°E / -23.8023417; 133.9008111

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