Plane hijacked in Jamaica's Montego Bay; crew held

[April 20, 2009]  KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) -- A gunman described as "mentally challenged" hijacked a Canadian jet on the tarmac near the resort city of Montego Bay and was holding six members of the flight crew hostage after releasing the passengers unharmed, officials said Monday.

Police and soldiers surrounded the plane as talks continued with the hijacker before dawn, according to Jamaican police spokeswoman Camille Tracey. Nobody has been injured, officials said.

A "mentally challenged youngster" boarded the plane in Montego Bay and demanded to be flown to Cuba, Jamaican Information Minister Daryl Vaz told CNN.

There were 159 passengers and eight crew members aboard the Boeing 737 when the gunman forced his way through security checkpoints and onto the plane, according to a statement from Jamaican police. CanJet Airlines said there were 182 passengers and crew. The different numbers could not immediately be reconciled.

There are unconfirmed reports that a shot was fired outside the aircraft, CanJet Vice President Ken Woodside said in a news conference Monday.

"We are relieved that all the passengers involved in this incident are safe," Woodside said. He added that his top priority was the release of the six remaining crew members.

All the passengers were Canadian, Woodside said. The plane had arrived from Halifax, Nova Scotia, and was scheduled to stop in Santa Clara, Cuba, before returning to Canada.

The gunman and the crew of CanJet Airlines Flight 918 were still on board the plane early Monday, the airline said in a statement published early Monday on its Web site. Police said all the passengers and two crew members were released after being held a short time.

The gunman's father and other family members were assisting with negotiations, Vaz said.

Vaz said the gunman is Jamaican and about 20 years old. He did not detail the man's mental condition.

The situation began around 10 p.m. Sunday (11 p.m. EDT, 0300 GMT Monday), according to Elizabeth Scotton, a spokeswoman for Montego Bay's Sangster International Airport.

Jamaican Prime Minister Bruce Golding addressed all the passengers after they were debriefed by police and assured them that everything possible was being done to return them home quickly, according to the police statement.

[Associated Press; By HOWARD CAMPBELL]

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