Recordings of air traffic control audio reveal tense moments for commercial pilots as an allegedly commandeered plane neared the airspace over the Vancouver airport this week.
Shortly before 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, a controller can be heard warning pilots that a small Cessna 172 had been “hijacked,” and was flying in the “vicinity” of Vancouver International Airport.
“I’m just going to let you know that so you can continue looking out the window,” the controller adds. “Just in case anything starts heading toward you, you have the ability to move at your discretion.”
The controller noted the pilot’s reasons for flying near the busy YVR airspace were unclear – as they remain the day after the alarming incident.
“We really don’t know what will happen but this aircraft is just circling overhead, and we don’t know, of course, their intention.”
Sources told CTV News the suspect had booked a Cessna tour out of Victoria, then threatened the pilot with a knife before takeoff and stole the aircraft.
The pilot managed to escape just before takeoff, the sources said.
Once in the air, the suspect never expressed an intention to crash the plane or harm anyone, according to CTV News sources, but said he planned to disrupt YVR operations for several hours in an act of protest to draw attention to the climate crisis.
The single-engine plane ultimately landed safely on the tarmac, at approximately 1:45 p.m., and the RCMP said awaiting officers arrested the pilot without incident.
On social media, one witness said the aircraft was “chased on the runway” by law enforcement before eventually coming to a stop. Videos show at least five RCMP vehicles stopped behind the plane.
Hours after the incident, the Richmond RCMP detachment, which responded with assistance from the Lower Mainland Emergency Response Team and the Integrated Police Dog Service, also referred to the situation as a hijacking.
Few details have been shared about how the plane was apparently stolen.
Authorities have only said the Cessna 172 was taken from the “Vancouver Island area,” and that the pilot was the only person on board.
“This is an active and ongoing investigation with numerous factors still being assessed. As such, no further details can be shared at this time,” Richmond RCMP said Tuesday.
CTV News has reached out to the detachment for more details.
The aircraft appears to have been stolen from Victoria International Airport. In a statement, a YYJ spokesperson confirmed there was a police incident Tuesday involving “an aircraft operated by the Victoria Flying Club,” which is located on the airport premises.
The spokesperson said the situation was “safely resolved” and that the “individual involved” was arrested, but would not directly confirm a connection to the incident at YVR.
The Victoria Flying Club has not responded to requests for comment from CTV News.
With files from CTV News Vancouver’s St. John Alexander and The Canadian Press
