Investigation Summary
The hijacking began minutes after the 16:30 departure from Torslanda Airport. Two hijackers entered the cockpit, pointed weapons at a flight attendant, and ordered the pilots to divert to Malmo. Initially, many passengers believed the event was a training exercise until the hijackers made references to the Munich massacre that had occurred only ten days prior. Upon landing at Bulltofta at 17:10, the hijackers threatened to detonate a bomb if their demands were not met within eight hours. The Swedish government, led by Prime Minister Olof Palme and Justice Minister Lennart Geijer, established a crisis cabinet and opted for a strategy of extending negotiations to tire the hijackers. The entire event lasted approximately 23 hours from the initial hijacking until the final surrender in Madrid. During the standoff in Malmö, several passengers were released for medical reasons. A complex exchange was eventually brokered: six of the seven requested prisoners were transported to the airport and boarded the aircraft. The hijackers initially demanded a ransom of one million kronor, but reduced this to 500,000 kronor after police argued that such a large sum was impossible to obtain in the middle of the night. The final release of the remaining hostages occurred in stages, after which the DC-9, named Gunder Viking, departed for Spain with the hijackers and the released prisoners.
Final Conclusions
The incident concluded without fatalities or injuries to the hostages. The hijackers and the released prisoners surrendered to Spanish authorities at Madrid-Barajas Airport at 14:47 on 16 September 1972. They were sentenced to one year in prison in Spain and subsequently moved to Paraguay. The hijacking was a catalyst for significant legislative change in Sweden, leading to the passage of the Terrorism Act in 1973, which granted the police and security services expanded powers for surveillance and the deportation of suspected terrorists.
Video Analysis
No video analysis linked for this case file yet.
Systems & Failure Modes
Hijacking Alert System
The flight crew utilized the aircraft's transponder or radio to signal a hijacking alert at 16:51, notifying air traffic control of the emergency.
Crisis Management
The Swedish government utilized a cabinet-level crisis response, involving the Prime Minister and Minister of Justice, to negotiate the hostage release.
Interesting Facts
- 01This remains the only successful aircraft hijacking in Swedish history.
- 02The hijackers were members of the Croatian National Resistance (CNR).
- 03The Swedish government paid a ransom of 500,000 Swedish kronor to secure the release of the hostages.
- 04Six prisoners were released from Swedish jails to join the hijackers on the flight to Spain.
- 05The aircraft involved was a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-21 named Gunder Viking.
Safety Actions & Advisories
Terrorism Act of 1973
Sweden passed new legislation in 1973 to ease the deportation of suspected terrorists and increase police surveillance powers.
Known Controversies & Unanswered Questions
Diplomatic Tension with Yugoslavia
Reference ↗The Swedish government received harsh criticism from the Government of Yugoslavia for capitulating to the hijackers' demands and releasing prisoners involved in previous attacks on Yugoslavian diplomatic missions.
Terrorism Act Civil Rights Concerns
Reference ↗The resulting Terrorism Act of 1973 was met with significant domestic criticism, as opponents argued it reduced the civil rights of innocent foreigners by granting expanded powers for deportation and undercover surveillance.
Location
APPROXIMATE POSITION · Coordinates are the reference point of the airport named in the location, not the point of impact. The ring shows the accuracy the record supports, not the point of impact.