 VN-C509, the aircraft involved the hijacking | |
| Hijacking | |
|---|---|
| Date | 29 October 1977 |
| Summary | Hijacking |
| Site | en route |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Douglas DC-3 |
| Operator | Vietnam Civil Aviation, precursor Vietnam Airlines |
| Registration | VN-C509 |
| Flight origin | Tan Son Nhat International Airport, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam |
| Destination | Duong Dong Airport, Phu Quoc, Kien Giang Province, Vietnam |
| Occupants | 36 |
| Fatalities | 2 |
| Survivors | 34 |
In 29 October 1977, four armed Vietnamese hijackers seeking asylum in Singapore seized a Douglas DC-3, registration VN-C509, en route from Ho Chi Minh City to Phu Quoc Island with 32 passengers on board. Two of the six crew members were killed and a third was wounded before the aircraft was forced to land in Singapore. The pilot diverted to U-Tapao Air Base in Thailand for refueling. The flight continued to Singapore were it landed at 21:00 (GMT+07:30) at Seletar Air Base. The hijackers surrendered after negotiating with Singapore officials for five hours. [1] [2] This hijacking marks the first aircraft hijacking on a Vietnam Airlines's aircraft, and also the first aircraft hijacking after the Fall of Saigon in 1975.
The aircraft involved in the incident is currently on display near the warehouse at Tan Son Nhat International Airport, next to a Vietnam Airlines's Tupolev Tu-134 with registration number VN-A132.