Investigation Summary
The hijacking began approximately midway between Rome and Paris. Hussein Ali Mohammed Hariri, who had smuggled a pistol and an explosives belt containing 500 grams of TNT onto the aircraft during a stopover in Bangui, forced his way into the cockpit and demanded to be flown to Beirut. Captain Eduard Artisu convinced Hariri that the DC-10 lacked sufficient fuel for the trip, leading to a negotiated landing at Geneva's Cointrin Airport. Once on the ground, Hariri demanded the release of Mohammed Ali Hammadi and Abbas Ali Hamadei from West German custody. To demonstrate his resolve, he singled out 28-year-old French passenger Xavier Beaulieu and shot him in the back of the neck. The standoff reached a breaking point when the pilot announced the aircraft was preparing to depart for Beirut; fearing for their lives, passengers at the rear of the cabin forced open emergency exits. In the ensuing chaos, a flight attendant attempted to tackle Hariri and was shot in the stomach, but the distraction allowed Swiss police to storm the aircraft and apprehend the hijacker. Reports on the number of injured varied between 29 and 31, largely due to failures in the automatic deployment of evacuation slides.
Final Conclusions
Hussein Ali Mohammed Hariri was convicted by the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland in Lausanne for hijacking, murder, and attempted murder. He was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1989. After escaping briefly in 2002 and being recaptured, he was eventually released on parole in 2004 and deported to Lebanon.
Video Analysis
No video analysis linked for this case file yet.
Airframe & Maintenance
Systems & Failure Modes
Emergency Evacuation Slides
During the passenger-led evacuation, some slides reportedly failed to extend automatically, requiring manual deployment by passengers.
Airport Security
The hijacker successfully bypassed security screenings at Bangui M'Poko International Airport with a firearm and explosives.
Interesting Facts
- 01The hijacker was armed with a pistol and a belt containing 500 grams of TNT.
- 02One flight attendant was seriously injured by a gunshot to the stomach while attempting to overpower the hijacker.
- 0330 people were injured during the emergency evacuation, some due to escape chutes that failed to extend fully.
- 04The aircraft involved, TU-TAL, was later destroyed in 1999 while operating as Cubana de Aviación Flight 1216.
- 05The hijacker had previously been imprisoned in Israel and was released in a 1985 prisoner exchange.
Safety Actions & Advisories
Security Protocol Review
The incident led to increased scrutiny of security procedures at African stopover airports, specifically regarding the screening of transit passengers boarding international flights.
Location
ACCIDENT SITE · Coordinates taken from the wikidata coordinate.