American Military Veteran Reportedly Hijacks Airplane, Stabs 3

A U.S. citizen allegedly hijacked a small airplane in Belize at knifepoint and stabbed three people on board.

Akinyela Sawa Taylor, a U.S. citizen and military veteran, hijacked a Tropic Air Belize plane with 13 other passengers on board, officials said.

A knife-wielding man reportedly attempted to hijack a Tropicair flight in Belize this morning. The flight was met by a large emergency response upon landing in Belize City. We are closely following this story for updates. https://t.co/C2DbdxR0c9 pic.twitter.com/cGjPWgKAZv

— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) April 17, 2025

ABC News reports:

Police received information the plane was hijacked by a passenger on board shortly before takeoff. Taylor wanted to be taken out of the country and demanded more fuel for the plane, police said.

The hijacker was fatally shot in the chest by a passenger who had a licensed firearm, police said.

The aircraft, which was circling, almost ran out of fuel by the time it landed, police said.

Three passengers, all from Belize, were injured with knife wounds. The flight had 14 passengers total on board, including two Americans, police said.

Police were in contact with a passenger on the plane who was sending updates via text, officials said.

It is not yet clear how the hijacker was able to get on the plane with a knife, police said.

An American attempted to hijack a plane in Belize with a knife.

3 people were injured in the attack.

The would be hijacker was shot and killed.#Belize #hijacking #KnifeCrime #FAFO #flying pic.twitter.com/jUufESjG9B

— Mrgunsngear (@Mrgunsngear) April 18, 2025

Tropic Air plane lands safely in Belize after attempted hijacking https://t.co/1UOxBEPeKG pic.twitter.com/HpqjRt1Jn3

— New York Post (@nypost) April 17, 2025

Per USA TODAY:

The man brandished a knife while the Tropic Air plane was airborne while demanding that the pilots take him out of the country, Police Commissioner Chester Williams told journalists, according to Reuters. The man was identified Thursday as Akinyela Sawa Taylor, a U.S. citizen and military veteran, Williams added.

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Taylor stabbed three people during the hijacking, including the pilot and a passenger who fatally shot him with a licensed firearm. The pilot eventually managed to land the airplane outside Belize City after being forced to circle the airspace between northern Belize and the capital.

In a statement, Tropic Air Belize CEO Maximillian Greif called the pilot’s actions “nothing short of heroic.”

“In the face of incomprehensible pressure, our pilot acted with extraordinary courage and calm, guiding the aircraft to a safe landing,” Greif said.

The airplane, which had only 14 passengers on board, had been due to fly the short route from Corozal near the Mexican border to San Pedro, a popular tourist destination off the coast. By the time it made an emergency landing, the aircraft had begun to run dangerously low on fuel, Williams told reporters.

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