An airliner was forced to land in Turkey on Friday after the pilot signaled a possible hijacking attempt in connection to the Winter Olympics, Turkish media and CNN are reporting.
The would-be hijacker reportedly sought to divert plane to Sochi, Russia, where the 2014 Winter Olympic ceremony began on Friday morning.
CNNTurk: #Turkish air force scrambled fighter jets after signal from Pegasus Air pilot that wld-be hijacker sought to divert plane to Sochi
— Ayla Jean Yackley (@aylajean) February 7, 2014
The Pegasus Airlines flight, which departed from Kharkov, Ukraine, is currently being held in a “safe zone” at an airport in Istanbul, Turkey, according to CNN.
More from the AP:
BREAKING: Turkish official: passenger with bomb claim tried to divert plane to Sochi as Olympics begin.
— The Associated Press (@AP) February 7, 2014
Update: The Wall Street Journal reports the would-be hijacker was “heavily drunk”:
A representative for the SBU said in a statement that the passenger was “heavily drunk,” according to the Interfax news agency. “He tried to enter the pilot’s cabin, calling out, “Let’s fly to Sochi,” the representative said, according to Interfax.