Vietnam Airlines Flight 850
| Company type | Passenger flight |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aviation |
| Founded | 4 September 1992 |
| Headquarters | Bangkok , Thailand |
Area served | Bangkok, Thailand; Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam |
Vietnam Airlines Flight 850 was a regularly scheduled passenger service operating between Bangkok, Thailand, and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. On 4 September 1992, the flight's aircraft, an Airbus A310-222, was hijacked by Ly Tong, a former pilot in the South Vietnamese Air Force. Tong disseminated anti-communist leaflets over Ho Chi Minh City before exiting the plane via parachute. He was subsequently detained by Vietnamese authorities upon landing. The aircraft completed its journey without any casualties. Tong was released from incarceration in Hanoi in 1998.
Aircraft
The plane involved was an Airbus A310-222 bearing the registration LZ-JXB, leased by Vietnam Airlines from the Bulgarian operator Jes Air. Originally entering service in 1986 with CAAC Airlines, it transferred to China Eastern Airlines in 1988 under the registration B-2303 before being sold to Jes Air in 1991. Its propulsion was provided by Pratt & Whitney JT9D-7R4E1 engines.
Hijacking
Flight 850 departed Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok at 17:00 on 4 September 1992, bound for Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City.
Approximately 80 miles from its destination, Ly Tong, a retired pilot from South Vietnam and United States citizen, threatened crew members using a plastic knife and a clothes hanger. Claiming possession of an explosive device, he compelled a flight attendant to accompany him to the cockpit. Tong ordered the captain to lower altitude to roughly 500 feet, decrease airspeed, and enter prohibited airspace above Ho Chi Minh City.
For half an hour, Tong dispersed leaflets urging rebellion against the communist regime of Vietnam, identifying himself as "Commander of the Uprising Forces." He then exited the aircraft via an emergency door using a parachute. The plane proceeded without incident and landed safely at Tan Son Nhat Airport with a delay of 38 minutes and no injuries reported.
Aftermath
Two hours following the event, Vietnamese military personnel apprehended Tong near Ho Chi Minh City. Initially, a spokesperson for Vietnam Airlines described the incident as a technical malfunction involving an unexpectedly opened door during flight between Bangkok and Ho Chi Minh City, denying any hijacking took place. However, Hanoi's Voice of Vietnam later verified that the flight had indeed been hijacked.
On 24 February 1993, the Supreme People's Court in Ho Chi Minh City convicted Tong of air piracy and sentenced him to twenty years imprisonment. He was pardoned and deported back to the United States by Vietnamese President Trần Đức Lương on 2 September 1998. Following his release, Tong continued conducting similar leaflet-dropping missions targeting governments of Cuba, China, and North Korea.
Vietnam Airlines estimated that Tong’s actions resulted in financial losses amounting to about USD 500,000 and VND 7,000,000.
After the hijacking episode, the aircraft was re-registered as B-2303 and transferred to China Northwest Airlines in 1993. Following a merger in 2003, it became part of China Eastern Airlines' fleet but remained in storage until 2006. Subsequently, it was acquired by Burmese carrier Air Bagan, re-registered as XY-AGD, and stayed stored until 2011. That year it was purchased by Singapore-based lessor Phoenix Aircraft Leasing and sold to Thai charter operator P.C. Air, receiving registration HS-PCC and serving as their only aircraft until the company ceased operations in 2012. The plane remained stored before being dismantled at Don Mueang International Airport in Thailand in 2020. Currently, its fuselage is utilized for training purposes within the aviation engineering faculty at Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi.