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Status
Date Wednesday 5 July 2000
Time
Type Silhouette image of generic A320 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Airbus A320
Operator Royal Jordanian Airlines
Registration F-OGYB
MSN 88
Year of manufature 1989
Crew Fatalities: / Occupants: 12
Passengers Fatalities: / Occupants: 84
Total occupants Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 96
Aircraft damage Minor, repaired
Aircraft fate rep
Location Amman-Queen Alia International Airport (AMM)   Jordan
Phase En route
Nature Passenger - Scheduled
Departure Airport Amman-Queen Alia International Airport (AMM/OJAI)
Destination Airport Damascus International Airport (DAM/OSDI)
Narrative A Syrian national hijacked Royal Jordanian flight 435 en route to Damascus, Syria, from Amman, Jordan. About ten minutes into the flight, the hijacker told a flight attendant that he wanted the plane, an Airbus A320 aircraft with 84 passengers and 12 crew, to be diverted to Germany or another European country. The man was armed with an "old" pistol and an "almost worn-out" hand grenade, which he had smuggled aboard the plane in a portable cassette player.
After the hijacker fired two shots and pulled the pin of the grenade, he was shot and killed by a Jordanian air marshal. The grenade rolled down the aisle of the plane and detonated under a seat. The blast injured 15 passengers, none seriously, and tore a 12" deep hole in the floor of the cabin of the plane. The pilot and copilot were able to return the plane to Queen Alia International Airport in Amman.
Several members of the hijacker's family were on board the plane, but they were not believed to have involvement in the hijacking. The hijacker reportedly had lived briefly in Germany and had made several attempts to return there. His motive for hijacking the plane allegedly was to seek asylum because he did not want to return to Syria.

sources

Criminal Acts Against Civil Aviation 2000 / FAA, Office of Civil Aviation Security
ICAO

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