China Airlines Flight 831 was a scheduled passenger flight from Kaohsiung in Taiwan to British Hong Kong that was hijacked on March 9, 1978.
 B-1876, an aircraft similar to the one involved | |
| Hijacking | |
|---|---|
| Date | March 9, 1978 |
| Summary | Aircraft hijacking |
| Site | Hong Kong |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Boeing 737-281 |
| Operator | China Airlines |
| Registration | B-1870 |
| Flight origin | Kaohsiung International Airport |
| Destination | Kai Tak Airport |
| Passengers | 92 |
| Crew | 9 |
| Fatalities | 1 (hijacker) |
| Injuries | 2 |
| Survivors | 100 |
Aircraft
edit
The aircraft involved was a Boeing 737-281, MSN 20226, registered as B-1870, that was manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes in 1969. It was equipped with two Pratt & Whitney JT8D-7 engines.[1]
Hijacking
editThe flight, operated by a Boeing 737-281 registered as B-1870, departed at 16:08 local time and was uneventful until 17:00, when one of the crew members, 34-year-old Shi Mingzhen, broke into the cockpit and demanded the pilots to fly to Mainland China. Captain Gao Zhixian and First Officer Gong Zhongkang (both former Republic of China Air Force pilots) refused the demands and were beaten by Shi. Despite having injuries from the beating, the pilots managed to order an on-board security guard to the cockpit. The guard broke down the cockpit door using a fire extinguisher, shot and killed the hijacker. The flight landed at Kai Tak Airport at 17:20, after which the Airport Security Unit searched the aircraft for potential accomplices and questioned passengers. The pilots were then taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital due to their injuries.[2][3][4]
Aftermath
editThe aircraft involved later crashed as Flight 2265 near Penghu Airport, killing all 13 people on board.[5]
References
edit- ^ "Unlawful Interference Boeing 737-281 B-1870, Thursday 9 March 1978". asn.flightsafety.org. Retrieved 2024-07-29.
- ^ Ranter, Harro. "ASN Aircraft accident Boeing 737-281 B-1870 Hong Kong". Aviation Safety Network. Flight Safety Foundation. Archived from the original on 2013-12-12. Retrieved 2022-02-17.
- ^ Business Daily: March 10, 1978, Hong Kong, p. 1, p. 8
- ^ Huaqiao Daily: March 10, 1978, Hong Kong, No. 2, p. 1
- ^ "ASN Aircraft accident Boeing 737-281 B-1870 Magong Airport (MZG)". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 2018-12-16.