Chinese man subdues skyjacker who threatened to crash plane

A Chinese man on Saturday tackled a violent passenger who allegedly threatened to take over the cockpit and crash a plane from Ethiopia to Beijing, saving more than 200 passengers.

Cao Hongguo, an employee of Avic-International Project Engineering Company affiliated with the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), on Saturday took down and helped tie up the man who allegedly tried to skyjack flight ET 60 from Addis Ababa to Beijing, AVIC announced Sunday on its official Sina Weibo account.

The plane was forced to land at a Pakistani airport 20 minutes after Cao and two other passengers tied the man up.

"Cao has helped us restrain a violent passenger and got hurt during the struggle. He was instrumental in helping the crew get to Beijing safely," read a thank-you letter from the captain that AVIC posted.

Cao was returning from a business trip in Kenya and suffering a high fever when he heard the stewardess yelling for help.

He followed the stewardess to the captain's room and then saw a tall man crazily pounding on the cockpit door, trying to get in.

The crew members were trying to calm him down with words, but no one dared to grapple with him.

Cao immediately struck him and tried to stop him. He received several injuries on the face during the confrontation.

Two passengers and the captain joined the fight and then successfully tied the man up with earphone lines after 20 minutes of tremendous struggle.

The suspect is reported to have been fired by his boss, and vented his anger by threatening to make all the people on the plane die with him.

"Anyone who encounters this would do the same," Cao told thepaper.cn on Sunday night on the train back home to visit his wife, who was in hospital to deliver a baby.

Cao added that he did not want his family to worry about him.