Virgin flight not hijacked en route to Bali

[MAN Flyer]

According to news reports over here just now. Presume it's come from somewhere in Oz but no more details at moment.

[scooby5]

JAKARTA: A Virgin Australia plane landed at Bali airport on Friday after a suspected hijacking, Indonesian officials said.

"We got information that a 737-800 from Brisbane to Bali has been hijacked," spokesman Hadi Tjahjanto told MetroTV television station, adding it was a Virgin flight.

"The pilot indicated that the plane has been hijacked," senior transport ministry official Harry Bhakti said on MetroTV.

"There's information that a passenger tried to get into a cockpit, we are investigating."

Indonesian TV quoted the local police, saying that the passenger has been arrested.

Reports said flight VA41 was travelling from Brisbane in Australia when the suspected hijack occurred.

Palani Mohan, a passenger on a Garuda flight that was about to take off from Bali, said: "The captain of my plane made an announcement saying we were delayed indefinitely because a hijack was going on in Bali airport, about 150 metres away from us.

"I saw at least five vehicles including military-style trucks, filled with men in uniform, rushing towards the plane.

"Then the Virgin plane taxied away, followed by the convoy of security forces. The flight attendant said it's been taken off to a different part of the airport.

"Bali airport seems to be in lockdown, we've been told no planes will be departing or arriving. The pilot's not allowing anyone off our plane."

Virgin Australia Airlines, formerly Virgin Blue Airlines, is Australia's second-largest carrier as well as the largest by fleet size to use the Virgin brand.


- AFP/xq

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/...t/1082938.html

[CarbonMan]

BBC adds:

A Virgin official was quoted by Indonesian TV as saying the passenger had been drunk and the plane had not been hijacked.

Reuters confirms drunk pax.

http://rt.com/news/154796-plane-bali-hijack-virgin/

Yahoo has the most details - give name.

The actions of one drunken passenger was the cause of hijack fears around a Virgin Australia flight from Brisbane to Bali.

Flight VA41, a Boeing 737 which left Australia at about 11am (Australian time), was disrupted when the he tried to force his way into the plane's cockpit at about 1:05pm (Bali time).
The pilot was forced to send a hijacking signal while the flight crew handled the passenger, who was later identified by Bali police chief Beni Mokalu as 28-year-old Australian citizen Matt Christopher.

It landed at 2:43pm (Bali time) and is now parked at the south apron of Denpasar's Ngurah Rai airport. Bali police have apprehended the Christopher.

There are reportedly 139 people on board, but there are no details as to whether this includes air crew. Nobody has been hurt in the incident.

In a statement on their Facebook page, Virgin Australia said the hijack reports were 'incorrect'.

"There are incorrect reports that a Virgin Australia aircraft was hijacked on route to Denpasar. This is not correct. The aircraft in question has landed safely and at no point was the safety of our passengers ever in question," the airline said.

Indonesian media report that the airport is still open.

[scooby5]

Well in truth it didn't make sense to me to say a flight from Australia to Bali had been hijacked and had landed in......Bali.

I bet the poor guy thought the cockpit was the toilet.

[Kyo]

And now he's famous for being an absolute ****wit

[milehighj]

Well apparently they squawked 7500. Which seems a bit much considering what is being described as the situation...

[demue]

Hmm drunk at 1:05PM? Way to go to finish your vacation. Did he burn his last Rupiah on Bintang?

Anyways, if they squawked 7500 it may be a bit much, but then that is always easier said in retrospect. The pilot may not have known all the details in that instance why some guy was trying to get into the cockpit and an immediate decisions needed to be made.

[sqdazz]

Hmm drunk at 1:05PM? Way to go to finish your vacation. Did he burn his last Rupiah on Bintang?

Anyways, if they squawked 7500 it may be a bit much, but then that is always easier said in retrospect. The pilot may not have known all the details in that instance why some guy was trying to get into the cockpit and an immediate decisions needed to be made.

Hi vacation was just beginning the flight was BNE-DPS.

We should not be surprised, most Aussie's of that age are basically going there to get drunk and be utter idiots

[yflyer]

This photo is priceless.

[Melchua99]

it was coming from Brisbane bound for Bali. I think that it wasn't hijacking, passenger merely mistook cockpit for toilet!

[CarbonMan]

And he claims he wasn't even drunk. Just depressed and on medication.

[726]

such idiocy.... he did not think that he will make a lot of people suffers. Delays, etc.