Pilot Stabbed – Woman Claimed To Have 2 Bombs On Plane – New Zealand
February 7, 2008 by national
Filed under World Report
UPDATE: Police have released details of a woman from Somalia who attacked two pilots on a flight from Blenheim to Christchurch this morning.
The woman, who also made bomb threats, is a 33-year-old Blenheim resident.
Both pilots suffered knife wounds, one to the hand and the other to a foot, and are now in hospital. One passenger received a minor injury that was treated at the scene.
Police and Transport Minister Annette King has called for an urgent report on the incident.
The woman made bomb threats claiming there were two bombs on board the plane.
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Original Story
A woman has been detained by police in New Zealand after reports a pilot was stabbed on a flight to Christchurch this morning.
Police seized the woman when the Air National plane flying from Blenheim landed at Christchurch airport this morning. The airport has been shut down.
The plane was carrying seven passengers and all are reported to be safe.
Unconfirmed reports suggest both pilots may have been injured in the incident and that an electronic device was found on board the plane.
The airport has confirmed a bomb threat was received from the plane around 8:00am today.
Access to the airport has been blocked off and lengthy queues of traffic are building as bomb squad and police investigate.
Officials are refusing to release more details until later this morning.
Australian Halden Boyd is at the airport and can see the incident unfolding.
“There are SWAT police heavily armed, in flak jackets and the like, surrounding the aircraft,” he said.
“We believe they are possession of a pink bag, we don’t know whether it’s from the aircraft or whether it was taken from the woman, and apparently there is a device in the bag.”
