Safety Rules Being Investigated in Hijacking by Convicted Killer

The Federal Aviation Administration Tuesday began an investigation to determine if outdated safety regulations allowed a convicted mass murderer to overpower his guards and hijack an American Airlines jet to Cuba.

Ishmael Ali LaBeet gained control Monday of an American Airlines DC-10 that left St. Croix in the Virgin Islands bound for New York with 185 passengers and 13 crew members aboard.

The convicted killer apparently overpowered his three guards and, armed with their pistols, forced the plane to Havana, where he was taken into custody by Cuban authorities.

The plane was later flown to New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport, where it landed safely early Tuesday--nearly eight hours after being hijacked.

FAA spokesman Dennis Feldman in Washington said an investigation was begun Tuesday to determine if LaBeet was being transported in accordance with FAA regulations governing the transport of criminals and whether the incident indicates a need for additional procedures to assure the safety of passengers and crew.

FAA regulations now include such measures as requiring notification of the crew in advance of a flight if a prisoner is aboard, telling them where he is on the aircraft and assuring adequate measures to guard the prisoner.