Category: Aviation

A hostage situation occurred at Hamburg Airport Saturday and Sunday November 4 and 5 and lasted almost 18 hours. The tense situation began when a man drove his vehicle through the gates of the airport according to airport authorities. The man had his 4-year-old daughter with him in the car.

The airport was closed and flights were cancelled on Saturday night when the armed man, drove through the airport gate with his vehicle and shot a firearm into the air, the German news agency dpa said in a report. The man then continued on with the vehicle until he was just outside a terminal building and parked the car under a plane.

The German police said the 35-year-old Turkish citizen had his daughter with him in the car and had reportedly taken her by force from the mother in a custody battle. Authorities said the man’s ex-wife had contacted them earlier about a child abduction.

Local media reported that the man, who parked his car next to a Turkish Airlines plane during the standoff, had demanded that he and his daughter leave Germany and fly to Turkey.

More than 100 flights were cancelled, planes were diverted from Hamburg and thousands of travelers were impacted by the situation. Reports say hundreds were put up at nearby hotels while the event took place.

A psychologist negotiated with the man for hours. Nobody was injured during the standoff and all passengers had been evacuated from the airport, police said. Flight operations at the airport resumed on Sunday night.

In a news statement, Hamburg Mayor Peter Tschentscher expressed relief that no one was hurt. “The hostage-taking at Hamburg Airport is over after long, dramatic hours,” Tschentscher said. “I wish the mother, the child and her family a lot of strength to cope with these terrible experiences,” he added.

An angry crowd numbering the hundreds, was shown on video footage posted to social media shouting “Allahu Akbar” and waving Palestinian flags at the Russian airport in Makhachkala, a predominantly Muslim area in the Russian republic of Dagestan. The crowd was reportedly searching for people arriving on a flight from Tel Aviv, Israel. Some people were able to gain access to the ramp and ran out to the aircraft and surrounded it. Social media postings showed video of the crowd running through the airport shouting antisemitic slogans.

The airport was closed and security forces there later brought the situation under control, according to a report on the BBC. Sixty of the alleged mob participants were arrested according to Russian news reports. The airport reopened Monday but flights from Israel are being “temporarily redirected to other cities.” Israel urged Russia to protect “all its citizens and all Jews.”

Smiths Detection announced that it will supply Munich Airport with 60 HI-SCAN 6040 CTiX carry-on baggage scanners, which should see more than 30 million annual passengers speed through security screening in a third of the time. 

The ECAC EDS CB C3 approved cabin baggage screening system harnesses the power of computed tomography (CT) X-ray scanning to produce 3D images alongside Smiths Detection’s industry leading digital expertise, therefore eliminating the need to remove electronic devices, liquids and gels from hand luggage. The technology also reduces the numbers of trays that need to be returned, which ultimately speeds up the security screening process and improves passenger and security operator experience. 

With over 1000 units sold globally, the HI-SCAN 6040 CTiX is an energy efficient scanner, featuring low noise levels, zero vibration and a 30% higher belt speed than other CT X-ray scanners – helping to promote a calmer checkpoint. 

“We are delighted to be partnering with Munich Airport to supply our industry leading CT checkpoint scanner,” said Markus Rossmeisl, Smiths Detection director sales Germany. “Providing an improved security screening experience, the HI-SCAN 6040 CTiX will give passengers more time to relax prior to their flight. At the same time, the systems have been able to improve security and reduce burden on operators. Creating a better, faster, safer experience for all.”

Smiths Detection’s units will be delivered from January 2024.

The pilot riding on the cockpit jumpseat on a Horizon Air flight said “I’m not OK” just before trying to pull the fire suppression handles which would have shut down the engines if the fast-thinking pilot crew hadn’t quickly reset them. The off duty pilot, Joseph Emerson, later said in a statement made to police that he had taken psychedelic mushrooms recently, according to the charging documents made public Tuesday.

Oregon state prosecutors filed 83 counts of attempted murder against Emerson just before he appeared in court. His attorney entered not guilty pleas on his behalf. Federal prosecutors also charged Emerson with interfering with a flight crew, a charge that can carry up to 20 years in prison.

Emerson told Port of Portland police that he had been struggling with depression, one of his friends had recently died and that he had taken psychedelic mushrooms about 48 hours before the flight. He also said he had not slept in more than 40 hours, according to the document.

The U.S. Attorney’s office of District of Oregon says the off-duty commercial airline pilot, who was arrested on Sunday after he attempted to shut down the engines of passenger plane in flight, has been charged in federal court.

Joseph David Emerson, 44, of Pleasant Hill, California, has been charged by criminal complaint with one count of interfering with flight crew members and attendants.

According to court documents, on October 22, 2023, Port of Portland police officers responded to a report of inbound aircraft that had diverted from its route between Everett, Washington, and San Francisco to Portland International Airport due to an inflight disturbance. Police dispatch reported that Emerson, an off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot seated in a cockpit jump seat, had attempted to shut down the plane’s engines during flight.

After landing, responding officers interviewed the two pilots. The pilots recounted that, approximately halfway between Astoria, Oregon, and Portland, after engaging with them in casual conversation, Emerson attempted to grab and pull two red fire handles that would have activated the plane’s emergency fire suppression system and cut off fuel to its engines. After a brief physical struggle with the pilots, Emerson exited the cockpit. 

Flight attendants placed Emerson in wrist restraints and seated him in the rear of the aircraft. During the flight’s descent, Emerson tried to grab the handle of an emergency exit. A flight attendant stopped him by placing her hands on top of his. 

After landing in Portland, Emerson was arrested without further incident and booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center on multiple state charges of attempted murder and reckless endangerment. He remains in custody in Multnomah County on a federal hold pending his first appearance in federal court on a later date.

This case was investigated by the FBI and Port of Portland Police Department. It is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.

A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Transport Security Intl. contributing editor and safety expert Jeff Guzzetti appeared on “The Today Show” on October 24 to discuss deranged pilot who tried to shut down the engines on a Horizon Air flight on Sunday.

The situation unfolded on board the aircraft in the cockpit as a jumpseater – a pilot that is approved to sit on the jumpseat in the cockpit – tried to shut down both engines by pulling the fire bottle handles. He was subdued by the two pilot crew and taken to the back the aircraft.

Air traffic control recordings of the exchange between the crew of the flight and controller have the pilot telling them they needed to divert to a closer airport and to have law enforcement meet them at the aircraft. The man who tried to shut the engines off was an off duty pilot for Horizon Air named Joseph Emerson. He was subsequently charged with 167 charges including 83 counts of attempted murder.

A flight operated by Horizon Air, a subsidiary of Alaska Airlines, diverted to Portland International Airport in Oregon on Sunday, October 22. The carrier said, and ATC recordings confirmed, the diversion occurred because of a security threat related to an authorized occupant in the cockpit jump seat.

“On Oct. 22, Alaska Airlines Flight 2059 operated by Horizon Air from Everett, WA (PAE) to San Francisco, CA (SFO) reported a credible security threat related to an authorized occupant in the flight deck jump seat,’ Alaska Airlines said. “The crew secured the aircraft without incident.”

Law enforcement is investigating, Alaska said. “We are grateful for the professional handling of the situation by the Horizon flight crew and appreciate our guests’ calm and patience throughout this event,” Alaska Airlines said in a statement.

A Seattle Times report says an Alaska Air off-duty pilot tried to shut off engines on flight from Everett and had to be subdued.

“I’ll just give you a heads-up. We’ve got the guy that tried to shut the engines down out of the cockpit,” the pilot can be heard telling ATC in recordings. “It doesn’t seem like he’s causing any issue at the back. I think he’s subdued. Other than that, we want law enforcement as soon as we get on the ground and parked.”

Alaska Airlines pilot Joe Emerson, 44, was arrested by Port of Portland law enforcement and booked into jail just after 4:00 a.m. Monday morning, according to the Multnomah County Sheriff’s office website. The booking shows the man was being held on suspicion of attempted murder and reckless endangerment.