A Tel Aviv-bound passenger flight transmitted a false hijacking alert, prompting Israel, Bulgaria
By Bernard Moerdler,
A Tel Aviv-bound passenger flight transmitted a false hijacking alert, prompting Israel, Bulgaria, and Turkey to scramble fighter jets before the aircraft landed safely in Bulgaria.The flight, a LOT Polish Airlines service from Warsaw operated by Bulgaria's Electra Airways, was carrying 180 passengers when its transponder broadcasted code 7500 which signals unlawful interference or hijacking.The Israeli military said it scrambled two fighters over the eastern Mediterranean after a report of lost communication with the aircraft, and Bulgaria sent a MiG-29 and Turkey two F-16s to intercept and escort it.
Bulgaria's transport ministry attributed the alert to a technical failure of the aircraft's transponder, while a LOT spokesman said it was most likely human error involving an incorrectly set transponder, and described the episode as an exceptional event that would still be investigated. The aircraft turned back near Cyprus and landed at Burgas, where Electra Airways is based, and none of the 180 passengers or crew were injured. The flight has since been cleared and is now making its way to Israel.
Reported by Bernard Moerdler for Bernie News Network. See our editorial standards and corrections policy.