RAF jets in 767 hijack scare

Two RAF Harrier jets diverted to intercept a Continental airlines passenger plane over southern England when it lost contact with air traffic control, prompting fears of a hijack attempt.

The jets were making routine flights when the RAF received a call to go to the aid of the airliner.

The Continental Airlines jet, which was en route from Brussels to New York, failed to inform controllers when it entered British airspace off the Kent coast.

Staff at the national control centre at Stanwick, near Southampton, grew increasingly alarmed as they tried for 20 minutes to send radio messages to the flight crew without success.

Air traffic controllers eventually alerted RAF chiefs who ordered the Sea Harriers to carry out a visual check of the aircraft as it flew over Wiltshire yesterday morning.

As the Harriers approached the Boeing 767, they received a message from the airline's captain explaining that his radio had been malfunctioning and that conditions on board were normal.

The 175 passengers on board are not thought to have been informed of the problem. A Ministry of Defence spokeswoman said: "We had two Harrier Jets doing other things when the situation occurred. We got reports that the Continental Airlines' head office had lost contact with the airliner.

"We diverted the jets, which were on routine flights, to go alongside the airliner and do a visual check to establish its location. They did so and everything was fine."

A spokeswoman for Continental Airlines said: "I understand that it was a routine flight and a routine landing at Newark airport. I don't have any indication that the airliner lost contact with our operation centre in Houston or lost radar contact."