Ansett Airlines Flight 232

Ansett Airlines Flight 232

Hijacking summary
Date	15 November 1972
Type	Attempted Hijacking
Site	Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia
Passengers	28
Crew	4
Injuries	1
Fatalities	1
Aircraft type	Fokker Friendship
Operator	Ansett Australia
Tail number	VH-FNI

Ansett Airlines Flight 232 was an attempted hijacking of a Fokker Friendship bound for Alice Springs from Adelaide on Wednesday, 15 November 1972. The would-be hijacker died in the incident.

About 30 minutes before Flight 232 was due to land a male passenger produced a gun and said to the flight attendant: "This is a hijack". The man, subsequently identified as a Czech migrant named Miloslav Hrabinec, had boarded the flight in Adelaide with a concealed sawn-off .22 ArmaLite rifle and a sheath knife strapped to his leg.

After leaving the lavatory as the flight was making its descent into Alice Springs Airport, Hrabinec announced his intentions and forced both of the flight attendants to the cockpit where he spoke to the pilot. He asked for a parachute and to be flown 1000 miles into the desert. The pilot convinced him to allow the plane to land where it taxied to an isolated part of the runway. After police officers negotiated with the man by radio, 22 of the passengers were permitted to leave the aircraft.

The man then demanded use of a light aircraft, pilot and parachute, saying he would start shooting passengers if his demands weren't promptly met. A civilian pilot and flying instructor, Ossie Watts volunteered himself and his Cessna aircraft and local police constable Paul Sandeman posed as the navigator. Watts was the Aero Club manager and was given a police handgun. Police concealed themselves around the hangars as the Cessna with Watts and Sandeman onboard taxied to a position close by. The hijacker descended the stairs with flight attendant Kaye Goreham as hostage. The Ansett crew immediately closed the aircraft's door to prevent the hijacker's return. Sandeman subsequently attempted to disarm the hijacker but was shot in the hand and stomach during the struggle. As Sandeman tried to get away he was shot in the right shoulder and left arm.

The other police officers and Watts opened fire on the man who had moved to a concealed position off the side of the runway. He then appeared to surrender by holding up his hands. As the police moved in, he opened fire again and police returned fire, apparently injuring him. The man then shot himself under the chin. He died in hospital several hours later. The coroner's inquest into Hrabinec's death established that he had died of self-inflicted wounds.

Constable Sandeman was awarded the Queen's Commendation for Bravery.

References

• "Time Capsule: Hijack in Alice Springs". The Australian. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22730070-5012694,00.html. Retrieved 2007-12-25. 
• Hijacking description at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 2006-09-16.