The father of a passenger on an El Al flight from Ben Gurion to Hong Kong reported some strange goings-on last night. Here is what he wrote me:
Last night July 21st 2012 ELAL flight LY75 from Tel Aviv to Hong Kong turned back one hour after leaving Ben Gurion airport. The passengers were told after landing that there was a hydraulic problem. Wwhen they landed the plane was surrounded by ambulances and security forces. The flight was then delayed and eventually left at 7:04AM this morning.
Not one Israeli media outlet has written anything about this incident, which is suspicious, as they usually report on events like these. The only reason I can see for this media silence is a gag order by the courts. This would suggest that it was not a technical problem but a security issue.
Indeed, he appears to be correct. This online flight forum post confirms this news. My Israel source reports through his security contacts that there was a security alert and that it’s “highly classified.” Israel is on a heightened state of alert since recent terror attacks in Bulgaria and attempted attacks elsewhere. I’m guessing that either there was such an attack on the plane or that they anticipated such an attack. It may not have happened or it may have been thwarted. Either an attacker or passenger may’ve been injured.
Given the state of siege Israel implements regarding such security secrets, no one may find out what really happened for some time. If I can exert some pressure via this blog then perhaps it will loosen the tongue of the national security state.
What really happened on Flight 75, Israel?
Don’t you think the passenger whose dad wrote you would have noticed an actual attack, if someone was injured, or if someone was arrested from the plane, at least if the passengers stayed in the cabin for the duration? There might have been suspicion of a bomb in the hold, in that case he wouldn’t know, whether or not anything was found.
It’s possible Israeli security received a bomb threat they considered credible. But if it turned out to be false I don’t know why Israel would slap a gag on this unless it hoped to deter copycats.
I’m not sure this is the case, and the linked forum is hardly a proper source.
There are rumors floating around the net that this was the captain’s decision made as part of the ongoing internal struggle in El Al regarding pilot employment terms.
Believe me, my Israeli source would never confuse a highly classified gag order w a n El Al employee relations matter. And pilot’s don’t turn planes around in mid air because of employment disputes. Nice try but you don’t even pass the smell test.
Pilots may not turn around in mid air, but they do walk off the job…
http://www.globes.co.il/serveen/globes/docview.asp?did=1000764319&fid=1725
It’s a little bit odd for a bomb or hijacker to get aboard at Ben Gurion, and even odder for the usual suspects to pick a flight bound for Hong Kong. In any case, the gang of grievance mongers running Israel would be making propaganda out of a terrorist attempt already, with any group from the IRA to FARC being “Iranian” of course. This isn’t happening.
However, if there was someone on board with classified information or materiel (or money?) that wasn’t supposed to leave Israel, that would explain the abrupt return to Israel, rather than the nearest safe landing point. And they ain’t going to tell us more if they can help it.
Come to think of it, Hong Kong suggests it’s about money. If ever there was a city with a single purpose!
Any unreported jail or bailbreaks lately?
It would be interesting if there were any missing faces on the morning flight although they may of course be missing for other than security reasons.
Hi Richard,
next time you want to check details for any flight as it happened go and use this site. I included the details for ELY75 to HKK on 21. july. You can see when it made the u-turn, when landed and then when continued the flight as well as altitude and speed. And you get a map including the real routing too. Time is CET
http://de.flightaware.com/live/flight/ELY75/history/20120721/1900Z/LLBG/VHHH/tracklog
Bomb threats are so common, they hardly warrant newspaper space any more and so to build on that a theory that it wasn’t in the media because of a gag order, rather than simply because it isn’t “news” is taking conspiracy theories ad absurdum.
So you’re claiming that an El Al plane forced to turn around in mid flight and met at the airport by ambulances and security forces is an everyday occurrence in Israel? Please don’t try to piss on our backs and make us believe it’s rain.
It’s the Iranians. They’re ramping up for a “kill them with kindness” campaign by first agreeing to compete against Israel in the Olympics and then agreeing also, explicitly, to a moment of silence for the Olympics athletes from Israel killed in the massacre.
The Iranian judo athlete dropped out in order to avoid having to compete against an Israeli athlete. He was the only Iranian in a position to do so.
This is so far off topic it’s almost outside our galaxy. Stay on topic please.
OperationRedPill wrote a post about the Iranians agreeing to compete against Israel in the Olympics. I was responding to that comment. Are we not supposed to post comments in response to other comments only to the main topic? If so, I will remember that in future. Thank you for clarifying.
I didn’t catch Red Pill’s comment. Doesn’t sound like it was on topic either.