Hijacker Stabbed Pilot, Then Briefly Took Controls Of B-747

A 34-year old man convicted of killing an All Nippon Airways captain during a domestic flight six years ago was sentenced Wednesday to life in prison.

The Tokyo court could have sentenced Yuji Nishizawa to death. But the court found Nishizawa was in a state of "quasi-insanity" when he burst into the cockpit and stabbed the pilot in the chest with a kitchen knife.

"The defendant killed the captain and endangered the lives of over 500 passengers and residents (of areas above which he temporarily flew the aircraft). Those who commit such a crime should be punished with death," Presiding Judge Hisaharu Yasui said as he handed down the ruling. "However, he was in a state of quasi-insanity because he was under the influence of an anti-depression drug." The judge was quoted by the Mainichi Daily News.

ANA Flight 61 was en route from Sapporro to Tokyo when Nishizawa forced a cabin crew member to open the cockpit door. He stepped inside and stabbed 51-year old Captain Naoyuki Nagashima. He then took the controls of the aircraft for some six minutes before other pilots in the aircraft noticed the 747-400 was flying "alarmingly low." That's when the other pilots rushed into the cockpit and subdued Nishizawa.

FMI: www.fly-ana.com