Tropic Air, the Airline of Belize, has announced that Jair (Franchesco) Castañeda has been released from medical care following injuries sustained during an incident yesterday. The airline expressed gratitude to the skilled medical team and the community for their support and prayers.
Captain Howell Grange and Fitzgerald Brown are still receiving medical care and are in stable condition. Tropic Air has requested continued support and prayers for these individuals, their families, and all those affected in the community.
Akinyela Sawa Taylor, a 49-year-old American veteran, was shot and killed by a passenger after hijacking a Tropic Air flight in Belize and stabbing three people. Taylor had entered Belize for the first time on April 8 but was involved in multiple incidents in the days leading up to the attack, including attempting to board a flight without a ticket, being denied entry into Mexico, and assaulting a police officer. Despite these events, he was released from custody. It remains unclear how he re-entered Belize or boarded the flight.
Akinyela Sawa Taylor, a 49-year-old American veteran, was shot and killed by a passenger after hijacking a Tropic Air flight in Belize and stabbing three people. Taylor had entered Belize for the first time on April 8 but was involved in multiple incidents in the days leading up to the attack, including attempting to board a flight without a ticket, being denied entry into Mexico, and assaulting a police officer. Despite these events, he was released from custody. It remains unclear how he re-entered Belize or boarded the flight.
The hijacking itself lasted nearly two hours and involved 14 passengers and two crew members. According to police, Taylor launched a knife attack mid-flight, stabbing two passengers and the pilot before being shot and killed by one of the wounded passengers. Video footage from inside the small aircraft shows terrified passengers bracing for impact as the plane landed safely after nearly running out of fuel.
Taylor’s family, including his nephew in St. Louis, Missouri, say they are stunned. “I don’t think he would do something like this,” his nephew said. “He was okay when I last saw him two weeks ago. He wasn’t on any medication. No signs of PTSD. This is a big shock to me and the rest of our family.”
He is a former St. Louis County teacher aand a military veteran.
A spokesperson for the Ferguson-Florissant School District said Taylor worked as an assistant football coach from June 2018 to February 2019, but is “no longer affiliated with the District in any capacity.”
A terrifying mid-air ordeal over Belize ended with American hijacker 49-year-old Akinyela Sawa Taylor being ultimately shot and killed by a passenger. Taylor had hijacked a Tropic Air flight and stabbed three people.
Taylor, a U.S. military veteran and father of four, had arrived in Belize just nine days prior, on April 8, via an American Airlines flight from Miami, Florida. Immigration records show this was his first time visiting the country.
Taylor was involved in at least two troubling incidents in the days leading up to the attack—events that, if handled differently, may have prevented the tragedy.
Last week, Akinyela Sawa Taylor caused a disturbance at the Philip Goldson International Airport when he attempted to board a United Airlines flight to the U.S. without a ticket, prompting security to remove him.
On Saturday, April 12, he tried to enter Chetumal, Mexico, via the Santa Elena Border but was denied by Mexican authorities and then refused re-entry into Belize.
Taylor later surfaced in the Corozal Free Zone, where he reportedly spent the night in an abandoned building. He was later confronted by Corozal police and Free Zone security, during which he allegedly assaulted a police officer.
Although initially detained, Taylor was released on the directive of a high-ranking Belize Police Department official, according to sources.
The body of a man was found this morning in the Indianville area of Punta Gorda Town. According to reports, the discovery was made at around 9 o’clock. The body exhibited multiple chop wounds, including to the neck.
The victim’s body was found in a busy area. Investigators are working to identify the body.
On Thursday evening, the Government of Belize issued an official statement following the hijacking of a domestic Tropic Air flight by Akinyela Sawa Taylor, a U.S. citizen.
Flight 9N711, en route from Corozal to San Pedro, was mid-flight when Taylor assaulted the pilot and attempted to take control of the aircraft. The plane circled over Belize City for nearly two hours before safely landing at Philip S.W. Goldson International Airport.
Passengers helped subdue the attacker, and Taylor was fatally shot by another passenger. The pilot and two others were injured but are expected to recover. Emergency responders were on standby as the plane landed, and international flights at PGIA remain unaffected.
With more than 120,000 domestic flights operating safely each year, the government acknowledged the seriousness of the breach and committed to reviewing and strengthening airport security.
“We commend the pilot for his exceptional professionalism and composure in the face of a highly stressful situation,” the statement read. “His actions undoubtedly safeguarded the lives of all on board.”
The Department of Civil Aviation is working closely with Belizean authorities, the U.S. Embassy, and other relevant partners to conduct a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding the hijacking.
While there is no current indication of a broader threat, officials have confirmed that enhanced security measures will be rolled out immediately at all domestic terminals. These measures are intended to reinforce passenger safety while minimizing disruption to travel.
News Five provided live broadcast this morning as law enforcement authorities tracked a Tropic Air flight that was hijacked by a U.S. national leaving Corozal. He has been identified as forty-nine-year-old Akinyela Sawa Taylor. A passenger on board the aircraft shot and killed Taylor moments after the plane landed at the Phillip Goldson International Airport. News Five’s Paul Lopez tells us more.
Paul Lopez, Reporting
This is the flight path of an aircraft hijacked by forty-nine-year-old U.S. national Akinyela Sawa Taylor. Armed with a knife, Taylor demanded that Howell Grange, a pilot for Tropic Air, fly him out of the country. The flight had fourteen passengers, including an infant. Flight tracking shows the pilot made a sharp turn after takeoff, circled around, then headed south. South of Belize City, the plane turned east over the Caribbean Sea, circled Caye Caulker and San Pedro Town, then returned over land near the Phillip Goldson International Airport. It went back out to sea before landing at the airport an hour and a half after leaving Corozal. A licensed firearm holder on board shot and killed Taylor moments after landing. These Cessna Caravan planes can travel over a thousand miles in ideal conditions, but the pilot told Taylor they were low on fuel, according to Commissioner of Police Chester Williams.
Chester Williams
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“And at one point in time they demanded that he landed at an area where they can refuel. Our greatest concern was the fuel consumption of the plane. The information we were getting was that the fuel was depleting, and the plane was still at a very high altitude moving.”
Law enforcement, medical, and fire personnel were ready at the Belize City Municipal Airport in case the pilot landed there. Taylor had stabbed three people on board: Jair Castaneda, a Tropic Air employee, Fitzgerald Brown, and the pilot, Howell Grange. Images and videos from the plane show a severely injured Castaneda, while the other passengers huddled at the back of the plane.
Howell Grange
Chester Williams
“So we had deployed at the International, Belize City Municipal, Caye Caulker, San Pedro, Dangriga and Even the Coastal Road, because there is an airstrip there. We did this to ensure that if the plane landed, we would have been able to intercept the hijacker.”
Jair Castaneda
When the plane made its second pass over the Caribbean Sea, it had only twenty minutes of fuel left. Authorities then called in Astrum Helicopter to track the aircraft.
Chester Williams
“We were now thinking outside the box, knowing the fuel was depleting we were hoping we didn’t have to move from a search and rescue to search and recovery. The think was for the helicopter to follow the plane to see where it would land so if they received to crash land the plane in the sea or one of the islands we would have been there quickly to respond.”
A social media user caught this video of the plane flying over Saint George’s Caye, just east of Belize City. The passenger who shot and killed Taylor after the plane landed was among the injured and is being hailed as a hero. This is the first incident of its kind in recent history, leaving many to wonder why Taylor hijacked the plane and what his story is. U.S. Embassy of Belize Public Affairs Officer Luke Martin was at the PGIA, working with local authorities.
Reporter
“Can you tell us about what you found out about the hijacker and what was his motive?”
Luke Martin
Luke Martin, Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Embassy Belize
“We don’t have any information on him at all. We know that his name was being released. We don’t know what was his intention, why he wanted to go back to the U.S., the reason of it. So, right now we don’t have any information on that.”
Paul Lopez
“So you have confirmed that he was trying to get back to the U.S. on this plane?”
Luke Martin
“That is reports that we have heard, but we have nothing direct on that. This is something that the Belize authorities, we trust them to resolve and look at well. We share that commitment with them to make sure Belize is safe, airlines are safe, tourist are safe, borders are safe and secure, this is all part of that as well. It highlights that important event of everybody investing their time and money.”
Local authorities have uncovered more details about Akinyela Sawa Taylor. Over the weekend, Mexican authorities denied him entry at the northern border, but he managed to sneak into Belize through an unauthorized entry point.
Chester Williams
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“There was an issue last night from what I was told at the freezone involving the same person. So he seems to be a problematic person, and so that is what we know about him a part from the fact that he is a U.S. veteran.”
During a State Department press briefing this afternoon, spokesperson Tammy Bruce addressed the Tropic Air hijacking by a U.S. national in Belize. Bruce confirmed that the Department of State is aware of the situation. We also spoke with Public Relations Officer Luke Martin of the U.S. Embassy in Belize about the report the embassy will send to its U.S. counterparts.
Reporter
“An attempted hijacking of an airplane internally in Belize, Tropic Air. It involved an alleged hijacker who is a U.S. citizen, according to law enforcement report, he was fatally shot. He has been identified as a U.S. citizen and passport holder. Does the U.S. have any information on this?”
Tammy Bruce
Tammy Bruce, Spokesperson, U.S. Department of State
“Not yet. We watched that unfold like everyone else. It is horrifying. We are grateful, like all of us are, that this did not turn into a mass casualty event with over a dozen people on the plane. We know a few details. We don’t know much more. As I was working on the briefing that came across my timeline. It came across yours. It is terrifying. But thank God. We don’t know about injuries and any other details, so we cant comment. But we know there was effective law enforcement on the ground and that is all I have for you now. But obviously we are watching it now.”
Paul Lopez
“What do you have to send or say to your counterparts in the U.S. at this point? What is the next step?”
Luke Martin
Luke Martin, Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Embassy Belize
“I really think that highlighting the importance of Belize. Belize is a regional partner. It is important to Central America and the Caribbean. We want to keep ensuring that we have traction and connections without law enforcement colleagues here as well.”
Paul Lopez
“What do we know about his family members in the U.S., where he originated or what state.”
Luke Martin
“We don’t have that information. We don’t know his situation, other than the name.”
Paul Lopez
“Will the embassy be working with the local authority to do a thorough background check.”
Luke Martin
“Investigation will happen, but this is in Belize so the Belize authorities will handle that as well.”
Tropic Air released a statement after the incident, calling it a serious and unprecedented in-flight emergency. They praised the pilot’s heroic effort and extraordinary courage in safely landing the plane under intense pressure. Tropic Air expressed sympathy for the injured passengers and emphasized that safety is their top priority, with pilots undergoing rigorous training to handle any situation. The airline also thanked the Prime Minister, the Department of Civil Aviation, law enforcement, and medical teams for their swift response. Minister of Home Affairs Kareem Musa and Commissioner of Police Chester Williams visited the injured passengers at private healthcare facilities in Belize City. We spoke with Minister Musa.
Kareem Musa
Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs
“Myself and the commissioner visited the pilot, Mr. Howell Grange over at Health Care Partners a few minutes ago. Mr. Grange was undergoing a CT Scan to ensure that no organs was affected. He received stab wounds as well. We have two patients here at the Belize Medical Associates. Both are being treated at this time. Currently no serious impact to their organs as well. But they are badly injured. They have several stab wounds to the head and over the body. We had a chance to see them. They are in good spirit and we will continue to keep them in our prayers.”
The University of Belize (UB) has issued a public statement in response to a News 5 report aired Wednesday night, which revealed that several students had filed complaints of sexual harassment against a university lecturer.
In a press release issued Thursday, the university acknowledged receiving the complaints and said it has launched a full investigation into the matter. UB stated that the accused lecturer has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
“UB takes all allegations of misconduct seriously and addresses them in accordance with established policies and procedures,” the statement read.
The university said the case is now under review by the appropriate disciplinary committee, and pledged to ensure that due process and transparency are followed throughout the proceedings.
UB also recognized the bravery of students who came forward and noted that it is offering mental health and counseling support during this time.
Three victims injured in today’s shocking hijacking of a Tropic Air flight are receiving medical care at two hospitals in Belize City, according to Police Minister Kareem Musa, who visited them earlier today.
Musa, who was accompanied by Police Commissioner Chester Williams, personally checked in on the injured, starting with pilot Howell Grange, who is hospitalised at Healthcare Partners.
“Mr. Grange was undergoing a CT scan to ensure that no organs were affected,” said Musa. “He did receive stab wounds as well.”
Two additional victims — passengers Francesco Castaneda and Fitzgerald Brown — are being treated at Belize Medical Associates. While their injuries are serious, there is some relief in their prognosis.
“Thankfully, no serious impact to their organs as well, but they are badly injured,” Musa explained. “They have several stabs to the head and over the body… We had a chance to see them personally. They’re in good spirits, thank God. And of course, we’ll just continue to keep them in our prayers.”
The three men were attacked during the in-flight hijacking that ended in the fatal shooting of the hijacker, U.S. national Akinyela Sawa Taylor.
