Valkyrie Airways Flight 33 was a scheduled flight from Pacifico Airport to Robloxia International Airport On January 17, 2023, the aircraft experienced a failed hijacking attempt, in which the pilots successfully subdued the hijackers, despite having been outnumbered, before landing back to their departure airport. The hijackers were "very familiar people that caused a tragic accident that I know of.” according to the co-pilot.
Background[]
The aircraft operating was a 19 year-old Airbus A320-200, registered as RP-C9503. It was delivered to Valkyrie Airways on January 3, 2023. The plane had recently been repainted to a newer livery as part of the airline's rebranding, being the first aircraft in the fleet to do so, and was to be flown to Robloxia for a reveal to the public.
Hijackers' background[]
The 3 hijackers were revealed to be terrorists from Team Nyami, a terrorist group known for participating in the December 23, 1999 attacks in San Juan, and a bunch of other attacks. The hijackers are presumed to still have "old grudges", which could be a motive behind the hijacking. Their true motives are unconfirmed however.
It is still unknown how the hijackers managed to barge in to the cockpit door.
Incident[]
The plane took off at 7:51 AM, marginally behind its intended departure schedule. The pilot will fly the plane, while the co-pilot will monitor. Despite there being no passengers or occupants, the pilots still chose to lock the cockpit door for additional safety. Unknown to them however, the terrorists somehow made it inside, waiting for their time to strike.
At around 8:16 AM, the terrorists somehow stormed the cockpit. The captain was quick to spray one of them with his pepper spray. The first officer immediately turned on the autopilot, then joined the fight for control. Meanwhile, Pacifico ATC instructed Flight 33 to turn right. However, the plane failed to change course. The controllers then asked the flight to confirm that they can hear them, and tell them to squawk 7600 if they can not respond.
They eventually heard a brief sound of struggle from an unknown aircraft. Fearing it was Flight 33 being hijacked, they contacted Pacifico Air Base to send fighter jets to intercept the aircraft.
The lengthy fight has been going on for 20+ minutes, accidentally pressing buttons on the aircraft in the process. The plane managed to stay in the same course it was in before the fight, passing over the air base in the process, making for a quick interception. By now, a fighter jet is beside the distressed plane. Eventually the pilots managed to overpower the three hijackers and injure them before dragging them far away from the cockpit door. They responded to the fighter jet.
The pilot asks for a priority landing, in which the control gives permission. Flight 33 made it back to the airport safely at 9:06 AM, with airport police chasing the aircraft until it made it came to a complete stop, in which they surround it. Rather than exit the plane through its doors, the pilots exit through the cockpit windows.
The police raided the plane and captured the terrorists, placing them in custody soon afterwards.
Aftermath[]
The incident left the three hijackers injured, while the pilots were left unscathed, only slightly injured by exiting the plane through its windows. The terrorists were transported to a jail near the airport, where they were put in a jail cell, awaiting a trial.
The pilots were surrounded by paparazzi, who were eventually asked to back away from them. They then went to another one of the airport’s undesignated areas.
Both pilots returned to flying shortly after the incident. They were praised for their heroism, quick-thinking and bravery during the incident, and how they still managed to keep the plane stable during the fight.
The runway where the plane stopped was closed until it was towed back to the terminal two hours later.
The arrested aircraft on the runway an hour after the hijacking.
RP-C9503, the aircraft involved, did not make its reveal to the public until January 19, 2023, when the same crew successfully flew it to Pacifico without further incident.
On February 2, 2023, the aircraft was transferred to Valkyrie Ex, a regional subsidiary of Valkyrie Airways.
CVR/FDR Transcript Highlights[]
(8:24:32 AM) Hijackers manage to storm cockpit.
(8:24:35 AM) Captain: Hey! (shouting sounds)
(8:24:37 AM) First Officer engages autopilot, joins captain.
(8:24-8:27) (Constant breaking and struggling sounds)
(8:27:13 AM) Captain(?): Get out of here! You get out!
(8:27:17 AM) Captain(?) to F/O(?): Help me!
(8:27:21-8:27:29 AM) (Loud slamming sound, presumably the use of the restroom door.)
(8:30:34-8:30:41 AM) (Someone grunts, followed by sudden increase in engine power, then decrease in engine power)
(8:30:57-8:42 AM) (Continuous fighting, eventually followed by a door closing sound)
(8:42:21 AM) (Faint thud, then a groaning sound is heard)
(8:43:12 AM) (Cockpit door opens, and then closes)
(8:43:17 AM) F/O to Capt: There’s a fighter jet beside us.
(8:43:19 AM) Captain to interceptor jet: Yes, we have retaken control of the aircraft, Romeo-Papa-Charlie-9-5-0-3.
(8:43:32 AM) Captain to ATC: Robloxia ATC, mayday mayday, Valkyrie 33, we had an attempted hijack, and we successfully subdued hijackers. Requesting vectors back to the airport. We also need intervention.
(8:43:43 AM) Captain to ATC: Any available (runway) please, Valkyrie 33.
(AFTER TOUCHDOWN) (9:07:02 AM) Captain: Parking brakes, in case.
(9:07:06 AM) F/O: Parking brakes.
(9:07:11 AM) Captain: We exit the aircraft through the window. Let the police handle them.
(9:07:16 AM) F/O: Kay.
(END OF CVR)