2 Haitians Hijack Mission Plane, Arrested in Miami

Two Haitians hijacked a twin-engine aircraft carrying a missionary group from Haiti to Ft. Lauderdale today. The two gunmen were led away in handcuffs after landing in Miami and no one was injured, officials said.

The Cessna 402, owned by Missionary Aviation Fellowship of Redlands, Calif., landed at 2:30 p.m. at Miami International Airport.

Radio reports in Miami said the hijackers were mutinous soldiers who had been involved in a rebellion against Haitian military ruler Gen. Prosper Avril over the last week.

According to the radio reports, the two armed men were dressed in civilian clothes.

FBI agents were standing by when the plane landed, said Arlene Salac of the Federal Aviation Administration’s regional office in Atlanta.

A fellowship spokeswoman, Donna Burns, said the plane held four Haitians and three Americans, plus the two gunmen and the pilot, Duer Smedley.

“They boarded at Cap Haitien,” Salac said. “It’s unclear if they were expected aboard or just came on the plane.”

Burns said the men fired weapons into the air and took over the plane, and the pilot was ordered to fly immediately without a flight plan.

The fellowship is an international Christian aviation group founded in 1945. It operates 145 aircraft in Third World countries to provide rural aviation and radio service.

The Fellowship first started flight service to Haiti in 1979, flying doctors, medicines, supplies and mission and development personnel. The service has been based at Executive Airport in Ft. Lauderdale since 1982.