Introduction: A Flight That Should Have Been Ordinary
On 23 November 1996, Ethiopian Airlines Flight 961 embarked on what was supposed to be a routine international flight, part of a longer service connecting East Africa with West Africa. The flight originated in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, with planned stops in Nairobi (Kenya), Brazzaville (Republic of the Congo), and Lagos (Nigeria) before ending in Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire).
The aircraft – a Boeing 767‑260ER, registration ET‑AIZ – carried 175 people: 163 passengers and 12 crew members. On most flights of this nature, passengers would have been settling in, perhaps preparing to sleep, read, or simply enjoy the journey over Africa’s vast landscapes. But November 23 would turn this routine flight into one of the most dramatic and heartbreaking chapters in aviation history.
The Aircraft & Crew: Experience Meets Tragedy
The Boeing 767‑200ER involved had been delivered new to Ethiopian Airlines in 1987 and had spent almost its entire life in the airline’s fleet. At the time of the incident, the aircraft was about nine years old, powered by Pratt & Whitney JT9D engines, and well within its expected operational life.
Commanding the flight was Captain Leul Abate, a seasoned aviator with thousands of flying hours to his credit. He had previously survived two other attempted hijackings in his career — remarkable experiences that would later frame how he handled the crisis of Flight 961. The first officer, Yonas Mekuria, was also highly experienced, with over 6,000 total flight hours, including thousands on Boeing aircraft.
Together, this flight crew represented professionalism and calm under pressure – characteristics that would be tested in extraordinary ways.
The Hijacking: Chaos at Cruising Altitude
Approximately 20 minutes after takeoff, as Flight 961 cruised toward Nairobi, the normal rhythm of the flight was shattered. Three passengers — all Ethiopian nationals — abruptly moved toward the cockpit, brandishing what they claimed were weapons. According to survivor and official accounts, the objects included an axe, a fire extinguisher, and a bottle of liquor that was alleged to be a bomb.
The trio identified themselves as Alemayehu Bekeli Belayneh, Mathias Solomon Belay, and Sultan Ali Hussein — men seeking asylum and determined to commandeer the plane. They announced their intentions over the aircraft’s public address system while threatening dire consequences if their demands were not met.
Their primary demand was simple yet impossible: fly the aircraft to Australia, where they hoped to seek political asylum. Unbeknownst to them, the aircraft did not have nearly enough fuel for such a transcontinental trip; this “demand” was effectively a death sentence.
Fuel Miscalculation & the Growing Crisis
Fuel planning for any commercial flight is meticulous — accounting for the planned route, alternate airports, weather, and safety buffers. But Flight 961’s fuel load was calculated only for its intended service: Addis Ababa to Abidjan with intermediate stops — not to a destination on the opposite side of the Indian Ocean.
Despite repeated attempts by Captain Leul and his first officer to explain that the aircraft could not possibly reach Australia with the fuel on board, the hijackers either did not understand or refused to accept the reality. The pilots were forced to follow the hijackers’ instructions while trying to stay alive and keep the aircraft aloft.
With no realistic path to Australia and fuel levels dropping rapidly, the crew steered the aircraft along the East African coastline, keeping land in sight and hoping to find a viable place to land once the fuel ran dangerously low.
Descent into Disaster: Fuel Exhaustion in the Sky
As the flight approached the Comoros Islands — small volcanic islands in the Indian Ocean — the inevitable began to unfold. At approximately 11:41 UTC, one of the aircraft’s engines flamed out due to lack of fuel, followed shortly thereafter by the second engine. Now a powerless aircraft, the Boeing 767 began to descend toward the ocean below.
In this dire moment, Captain Leul used the intercom system once more, giving passengers clear instructions about what to do once the aircraft hit the water. He emphasized the importance of not inflating life jackets inside the cabin — a crucial detail that would later prove tragically significant.
But even this attempt to prepare passengers was cut short: the lead hijacker stormed back into the cockpit, physically restraining Captain Leul and silencing further communication. The dire situation was now beyond the control of flight deck professionals.
The Ditching: A Controlled Crash in the Ocean
With no fuel and no power, the aircraft had no choice but to attempt a water landing — a procedure known as ditching. Unlike a traditional emergency landing on a runway, ditching into open water is unpredictable and extraordinarily dangerous, particularly for a large, heavy, wide‑body jet like the Boeing 767.
In a last‑ditch effort to save lives, Captain Leul aimed the aircraft toward shallow waters near Le Galawa Beach, just off Grande Comore, the largest of the Comoros Islands. Because the hijackers had confused the trajectory and remained in control or interfering at times, the crew struggled to maintain the ideal alignment to the water’s surface.
When the aircraft finally met the sea, the left wingtip struck a submerged coral reef, while the pilots attempted to align the aircraft parallel to the waves. This impact tilted the plane and caused it to break apart on impact, violently disrupting what might have been a survivable crash landing.
Human Cost: Survivors, Victims, and Chaos
Of the 175 people on board, 125 lost their lives in the disaster. These casualties included all three hijackers and many passengers and crew who were unable to escape the breaking fuselage. Only 50 people survived — fewer than one third of those aboard.
Many fatalities were caused not by the impact itself but by a combination of drowning and panic. Some passengers inflated their life jackets too early, inside the aircraft cabin. Once the fuselage began flooding, these inflated jackets trapped victims underwater, preventing them from escaping — a lesson tragically underscored in this disaster.
Immediate rescue efforts came from local island residents, tourists, and beachgoers, who braved rough surf to pull survivors from the wreckage. Notably, groups of scuba divers and medical professionals on holiday were among the first to rush into action, helping bring people to shore.
Aftermath: Response, Recovery & Recognition
In the hours and days following the crash, response efforts rippled outward from the Comoros Islands. Survivors were treated at local hospitals, and injured passengers were eventually relocated to larger medical facilities in neighbouring regions, including Nairobi and even Réunion for specialized care.
The Comoros, a small nation with limited resources, was thrust into international media attention. Bodies were stored in cold facilities due to the lack of a proper mortuary. Diplomatic teams assisted with identification and repatriation.
Back in Ethiopia, the Civil Aviation Authority launched an official investigation into the causes of the tragedy. International aviation agencies assisted in analyzing the flight recorders to better understand the sequence of events.
Legacy: Lessons Learned and Remembered
Aviation Safety and Emergency Procedures
The tragic ditching of Flight 961 remains one of the very few instances in aviation history where a large wide‑body aircraft attempted a water landing — and the only recorded one resulting from a hijacking.
Because of the disastrous outcomes from premature life‑vest inflation, aviation authorities worldwide reinforced passenger briefings and emphasized better communication of evacuation procedures. Trainers now cite Flight 961 as a grim example of how panic and misunderstanding can escalate fatalities in emergency evacuations.
Honouring Courage: The Flight Crew
Both Captain Leul Abate and First Officer Yonas Mekuria were later honored for their professionalism and courage. Despite being physically assaulted and having their authority undermined by the hijackers, they persisted in trying to communicate with passengers, navigate toward land, and maximize the chances of survival.
Leul received the Flight Safety Foundation’s Professionalism in Flight Safety Award — a posthumous recognition of his dedication to duty even under horrific circumstances.
In Media & Public Memory
The dramatic and tragic nature of Flight 961 has echoed through documentaries, television episodes, and educational programs. Most notably, episodes of Air Crash Investigation explored the event, detailing the flight’s final hours and the decisions made under duress.
Video footage captured by tourists on Le Galawa Beach – initially mistaken by some as part of an air show – became one of the most widely circulated aviation disaster clips of the era, despite frequent mislabeling and online misinformation about the footage.
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