Saudi Airlines Flight SV872 from Jeddah caused apprehension to airport authorities on Tuesday when the wide-bodied aircraft’s transponder sent distress Code 7500, indicating a potential hijacking, some 20 miles off the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) minutes before making a landing.
Alarm sounds also rang at the radar consoles of the Manila Area Control, or ACC, and Manila Approach Center, or APP, the backbone units of Manila air-traffic control, according to Arminda Mendador, former ACC chief. The ACC and APP are units that form the backbone of air-control services at the Naia.
Wanting to confirm their worst fear, the air controllers called back to the pilot: “Confirm squawk 7500.”
The pilot of the B777 long-range twin engine jet plane repeated the Code 7500 message, triggering responses on the ground that set in motion a prepared scenario to deal with a potential hijacking incident, Mendador said.
“Code 7500 is a silent code and if the pilot confirms it, there’s really no need for further communicate, even if he says he had committed a mistake,” she said. “Who knows if his subsequent actions were made under duress [and] what if a gun is pointed at [the pilot’s] head and the hijackers were dictating to him on what to say.”
A “normal response” among airport authorities was set into motion as Manila International Airport Authority (Miaa) General Manager Ed Monreal convened the Crisis Management Team to plot a course of action. The team is comprised of the Miaa, backed by its ambulances and medical team, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (Caap), the National Police Aviation Security Group (Avsegroup) and other related agencies.
Upon landing, however, the pilot told the Manila tower over two-way radio that his activation of code 7500 was purely a mistake.
Air controllers, as part of the protocol on hijacking incidents, directed the pilot to park on a remote portion of the airport, a faraway distance from the passenger terminal.
“The purpose is to avoid any collateral damage in case the hijacking is real and [that somebody may] intend to blow up the airplane while parked close to the building,” Mendador said.
The claim of the pilot that the control tower did not reply despite 17 repeated calls under a Code 7500 scenario, air controllers are forbidden to communicate further with the pilot unless there is a demand from the supposed hijacker or if airport authorities intend to reply from such demand, she said.
Mendador added that during her term, they conducted testing of the code on a regular basis to make sure the device is working.
“The one test I remember most was the Y2K, because we were afraid then than the change of the computer programs would not work. But it worked,” Mendador said.
Flight SV872 was carrying 410 passengers, many of whom attended the Hajj. It has 21 crewmembers, including the pilot and co-pilot.
The Avsegroup took over the plane’s security upon landing and subjected the plane and the passengers to a thorough inspection to ensure that a potential hijacker won’t escape amid the onrush of deplaning passengers, according to Monreal.
Four years ago a Qatar Airlines taking off at the Naia made a similar mistake. The pilot inadvertently touched the code button, triggering visual and aural signals at the ACC and APP.
Despite the pilots subsequent calls, saying he made a mistake, he was asked to turn back to the Naia to subject the plane, cargo and passengers to a thorough inspection.
The Caap has started inquiry into the incident.
“From our investigation, we have confirmed that at about 100 nautical miles before touchdown the pilot-in-command, Capt. Nodal Baath [American citizen of Syrian descent with more than 20,000 flying hours], was with trainee and co-pilot, Capt. Carl Clara Montens [Belgian citizen with more than 11,000 flying hours],” the Avsegroup said. It was reported that the pilot in command has erroneously sent the secret signal for hijacking.
“This was also confirmed by the pilot but he also averred that his intention was to just send a distress signal for no communication [or Squawk 7600] since the Manila tower is not responding [for 18 minutes] to their radio call upon their approach to the Philippine airspace. We have recommended to the Caap the conduct of further investigation on the lapses of the crew, ” Monreal said.
Image credits: MIAA media affairs division via AP