Tropic Air Hijack Survivor Breaks Silence

Jair Castaneda, one of three passengers injured during the hijacking of a Tropic Air flight on Thursday, issued his first public statement following his release from hospital on Friday, 18 April.

In a message shared on social media, Castaneda said the country’s “peaceful community was shaken by an unimaginable act of violence and evil.” He thanked the public for their “incredible care, compassion, and support” and added that he continues his recovery at home, surrounded by family.

The plane hijack occurred on Thursday when Akinyela Sawa Taylor, a 49-year-old American citizen and military veteran, stabbed three individuals after hijacking a domestic flight. Taylor was shot and killed by a passenger during the incident.

Taylor had entered Belize on 8 April and was involved in several troubling encounters in the days before the plane incident, including assaulting a police officer and attempting to board a flight without a ticket. Despite these incidents, he was released from custody. How he subsequently boarded the flight remains unclear.

Castaneda asked the public to continue praying for the other two victims, Captain Howell Grange and Fitzgerald Brown, who continue receiving medical attention.

Captain Grange remains in the intensive care unit. His wife, Alene Carrillo Grange, stated on social media on Saturday that Captain Grange suffered major injuries to his right arm, forearm, back, face, right ear, and left forearm. Stab wounds to his ear extended into his mouth, cutting his tongue and causing him to swallow and inhale blood. This led to chemical pneumonia and the need for surgery to repair nerves and wounds on his face, tongue, and limbs. She added that his condition is slowly improving, and he is now speaking a little and is in a “really positive frame of mind.”