False hijack alert over Croatia triggers fighter jet scramble in Germany
A Corendon pilot accidentally sent a hijack code instead of a radio-fault alert, prompting fighter jets and a security operation before landing safely in Nuremberg.
A pilot flying Corendon Airlines flight XR456 from Corfu, Greece, to Nuremberg, Germany, accidentally transmitted a hijack alert while flying over Croatia on Tuesday, German police said. The alert turned out to be a mistake: the pilot meant to report a radio malfunction but entered the wrong code.
The pilot's transponder sent the four-digit code 7500, which tells air traffic control a hijacking is under way, instead of 7600, the code for a radio failure, Slovak outlet Topky reported, citing police. Once sent, the code could not be withdrawn, and the crew's broken radio meant controllers could not reach the cockpit to clarify, Dutch broadcaster RTL Nieuws reported.
Unable to make contact, authorities assumed the worst. A Rafale fighter jet was scrambled from Croatia to intercept the Boeing 737-800, and German military aircraft also took to the air; two Eurofighter jets escorted the plane once it entered German airspace, Topky reported. Bavarian police sent negotiators and a special unit, and police cordoned off Nuremberg's Albrecht Durer airport as a precaution, Al Jazeera reported.
The 178 passengers and crew were never in danger, Corendon said in a statement, adding that no emergency situation had occurred. The plane landed safely in Nuremberg under military escort. Six flights were delayed and two inbound flights diverted to other airports as a precaution, a Nuremberg airport spokesperson said, according to Al Jazeera.
Police said they are not investigating the pilot, since they do not believe the error was deliberate. Police spokesman Michael Petzold said authorities had to assume a hijacking was taking place once they could not reach the cockpit. "We had to assume the worst," he said, according to Al Jazeera. Petzold added that rescuers and police had less than an hour between the distress signal and landing, calling the response "an exceptionally good performance."
What we know
- A Corendon Airlines pilot accidentally sent a hijack alert instead of a radio-fault code while flying from Corfu to Nuremberg on Tuesday, German police said.
- The error triggered fighter jets from Croatia and Germany, and a police special unit, before the Boeing 737-800 landed safely in Nuremberg, Topky and Al Jazeera reported.
- Corendon said all 178 passengers and crew were never in danger and no emergency occurred.
- Six flights were delayed and two diverted as a precaution, a Nuremberg airport spokesperson said.
- Police are not investigating the pilot, as they do not believe the mistake was deliberate.
Why it matters for Europe
The false alarm came hours after pilots reported suspected drone sightings that briefly disrupted flights at Nuremberg airport, Al Jazeera reported. European airports have stepped up surveillance after a series of drone incidents, and several German airports have had to suspend operations in recent months over drone activity; Germany has blamed Russia for a drone incident at Leipzig/Halle airport in August, an allegation Russia denies.
Accidental hijack alerts are rare but have happened before. In 2019, a pilot flying from Amsterdam to Madrid accidentally transmitted the same code, disrupting flights and leading to a partial evacuation of Schiphol airport. In 2011, a coffee spill in the cockpit of a flight from Chicago to Germany triggered a hijack alert that diverted the plane to Toronto.
Sources
Reported by 3 reports from 3 independent outlets in 3 countries.
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Questions and answers
- What caused the false hijack alert?
- A pilot meant to report a radio fault but sent the wrong transponder code, 7500, which signals a hijacking, police said.
- Was anyone in danger?
- No; Corendon said all 178 passengers and crew were safe throughout and the plane landed normally in Nuremberg.
- Is the pilot facing any consequences?
- No; police said they are not investigating him, as they believe the error was unintentional.
This article was written with AI assistance from 3 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.