ashyr
11-02-2008, 02:43 AM
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/topic/story.cfm?c_id=124&objectid=10491616
A mother of two knifed in New Zealand's first plane hijacking has told of how she tried to calm the attacker before she could take control of the cockpit.
The female passenger - who cannot be named because of court suppression orders - was sitting in row three, two rows behind the woman accused of the attack, Asha Ali Abdille, on Flight NZ2279 on Friday.
She said the flight from Blenheim had been in the air for only a few minutes when 33-year-old Abdille stood up and demanded the plane be diverted to Australia.
"I listened to what she was saying to the pilot for a while and thought maybe a female just talking quietly with another woman might be able to help," she told the Herald on Sunday last night.
The Christchurch mother of two said she was worried about how close Abdille, who was carrying a knife, was standing to the pilots. "One of the other passengers who was slightly closer to her was extremely frightened... I can't remember the exact words or the exact details but next minute I ended up with a cut and was told to get back to my seat by [Abdille]."
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While the captain struggled with Abdille - sustaining knife injuries to both hands - the co-pilot managed to safely land the plane despite a stab wound to his foot.
The female passenger said the event "was a really frightening experience for all of us".
"I was just so relieved to get off the plane when it eventually landed because we weren't sure what our predicament was going to be."
She said the pilots handled the traumatic mid-air experience with great skill. "We were in the air, so if anything happened to the pilot the chances of us surviving would be minimal. So that accelerated our anxiety."
Despite her terrifying ordeal, the woman yesterday ran a half-marathon on the West Coast. Two hours of running had given her a chance to reflect on the horrifying flight.
"I do feel so sad for what the Somalian lady has gone through that has brought her to this mental state," she said. "It is incredibly sad."
Wearing a navy hoodie and with her left hand bandaged, Abdille appeared in Christchurch District Court yesterday charged with three counts of wounding with intent and attempting to hijack a plane - the first such charge laid in New Zealand.
Police asked for Abdille to be remanded in a psychiatric hospital where she will undergo a psychiatric report. She said nothing, other than thanking the JPs when she was led out of the dock.
Last night the two pilots, who also have name suppression, spoke of their ordeal.
Recovering in Christchurch Hospital after surgery to both hands, the captain paid tribute to the skills of his co-pilot in safely landing the plane while he grappled with Abdille.
A mother of two knifed in New Zealand's first plane hijacking has told of how she tried to calm the attacker before she could take control of the cockpit.
The female passenger - who cannot be named because of court suppression orders - was sitting in row three, two rows behind the woman accused of the attack, Asha Ali Abdille, on Flight NZ2279 on Friday.
She said the flight from Blenheim had been in the air for only a few minutes when 33-year-old Abdille stood up and demanded the plane be diverted to Australia.
"I listened to what she was saying to the pilot for a while and thought maybe a female just talking quietly with another woman might be able to help," she told the Herald on Sunday last night.
The Christchurch mother of two said she was worried about how close Abdille, who was carrying a knife, was standing to the pilots. "One of the other passengers who was slightly closer to her was extremely frightened... I can't remember the exact words or the exact details but next minute I ended up with a cut and was told to get back to my seat by [Abdille]."
Advertisement
Advertisement
While the captain struggled with Abdille - sustaining knife injuries to both hands - the co-pilot managed to safely land the plane despite a stab wound to his foot.
The female passenger said the event "was a really frightening experience for all of us".
"I was just so relieved to get off the plane when it eventually landed because we weren't sure what our predicament was going to be."
She said the pilots handled the traumatic mid-air experience with great skill. "We were in the air, so if anything happened to the pilot the chances of us surviving would be minimal. So that accelerated our anxiety."
Despite her terrifying ordeal, the woman yesterday ran a half-marathon on the West Coast. Two hours of running had given her a chance to reflect on the horrifying flight.
"I do feel so sad for what the Somalian lady has gone through that has brought her to this mental state," she said. "It is incredibly sad."
Wearing a navy hoodie and with her left hand bandaged, Abdille appeared in Christchurch District Court yesterday charged with three counts of wounding with intent and attempting to hijack a plane - the first such charge laid in New Zealand.
Police asked for Abdille to be remanded in a psychiatric hospital where she will undergo a psychiatric report. She said nothing, other than thanking the JPs when she was led out of the dock.
Last night the two pilots, who also have name suppression, spoke of their ordeal.
Recovering in Christchurch Hospital after surgery to both hands, the captain paid tribute to the skills of his co-pilot in safely landing the plane while he grappled with Abdille.