SHOCKING: US military veteran hijacks plane in Belize, shot dead mid-air by passenger

Belize: In a shocking incident, a US man hijacked a small plane in Belize on Thursday, stabbing the pilot and two passengers, before one of the stabbed passengers fatally shot him, said the officials in Belize and the United States. The plane then landed safely at the Philip Goldson International Airport in Ladyville.  

According to the information, Police have identified the hijacker as Akinyela Sawa Taylor. The Tropic Air Cessna plane was reportedly carrying 14 passengers and two crew members and was flying from Corozal which is a small town near Belize’s border with Mexico. It was reportedly headed to the popular tourist destination of San Pedro when it was hijacked.  

This plane hijacking incident marked the first to occur in a span of almost four years as prior to this, on May 23, 2021, a Ryanair flight from Athens to Vilnius was forcibly diverted to Minsk, Belarus, under the pretence of a bomb threat. 

Who is Akinyela Sawa Taylor? 

Akinyela Sawa Taylor, a US national, hijacked a small plane in Belize on April 17, 2025. He was reportedly demanding to be taken back to the United States however he was shot dead aboard the plane by a passenger who was carrying a licensed firearm. 

Why the US national hijacked the small plane in Belize? 

Police received information that the small plane was hijacked by a passenger on board shortly before take-off. The hijacker, who was a US citizen, demanded to be taken out of the country and asked for more fuel for the plane. 

US Embassy spokesperson Luke Martin in Belize also said that Taylor was insisting that he be taken to the United States and added, “We do not know why he wanted to go back to the US.” 

US officials said that did not know any particular motive behind Taylor’s hijacking but were working with Belizean authorities to determine what actually happened.  

What happened aboard the hijacked plane in Belize? 

Police said that the plane circled in random directions for almost two hours as the drama unfolded in the skies and the plane was also followed by a police helicopter before it finally touched down at an airport in the coastal town of Ladyville.  

The hijacker stabbed two passengers as well as the pilot following which one of the stabbed passengers managed to shoot at Taylor, leading to his death. Notably, the passenger was licensed to carry a firearm, and he later returned his weapon to the police. He was stabbed in the back and suffered a serious puncture to his legs and is in critical condition.  

The pilot has been identified as Howell Grange while the two injured passengers, one of whom shot the hijacked, have been identified as Fitzgerald Brown and Jair Castañeda. 

The authorities in Belize declared a full emergency right after the incident began, around 8:30 am local time, according to an official statement by the Belize Airport Concession Company. 

Tropic Air CEO praises pilot 

CEO of the airline company, Maximillian Grief said that in the face of incomprehensible pressure, the pilot acted with extraordinary courage and calm and guided the aircraft to a safe landing. They added, “His actions were nothing short of heroic.” 

The Officials added that the two wounded passengers and pilot were being treated for their injuries at a hospital.