May 3, 2004 (by Lieven Dewitte) -
A signal aboard an inbound Singapore Airlines Airbus A340-500 indicated a possible hijacking. An F-16 Fighting Falcon escorted the passenger plane to a remote section of Los Angeles International Airport where it landed around 17.30h Monday.
Armed SWAT teams immediately stormed the aircraft as hostage negotiators rushed to the scene.
Within minutes, officials determined a transponder sending a hijacking alert to ground crews had malfunctioned. The concerns about a hijacking aboard the Airbus thus ended in relief.
The Airbus had 126 passengers and 18 crew members aboard.
