/ 17 June 2006

Passenger pulls weapon on SAA crew member

A South African Airways flight was forced to return to Cape Town International Airport shortly after take-off on Saturday after a passenger threatened a crew member with a weapon, the company said.

”It appears a passenger threatened a crew member with a weapon demanding access to the cockpit,” said SAA spokesperson Jacqui O’ Sullivan.

She said the passenger was subdued and no one was injured. The plane landed safely at the airport.

The flight, SA 322 from Cape Town to Johannesburg, had taken off from the airport at 10.30am. It was due to arrive in Johannesburg at 11.40am.

It was not immediately clear how many passengers were on board. – Sapa