Cops: Ukraine Hijacker Tried to Force Plane to Sochi

He is in custody after bomb threat
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Feb 7, 2014 1:00 PM CST
Cops: Ukraine Hijacker Tried to Force Plane to Sochi
A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.   (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

As the opening ceremony of the Olympics was unfolding this morning, a passenger aboard a Turkish plane tried to divert it to Sochi, reports CNN. The man, identified only as Ukrainian, announced that a bomb was on board and ordered that the plane fly to Russia, authorities say. He reportedly tried unsuccessfully to get into the cockpit, and the pilot brought the plane down safely in Istanbul. It may not be a serious security threat, however. The AP quotes the Interfax news agency as saying the passenger was "in a state of severe alcohol intoxication," and Reuters says the crew was able to calm him down. Accounts differ, but most now say the man is in custody. (More 2014 Sochi Olympics stories.)

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