Belarus 'diverts Ryanair flight to arrest journalist', opposition says

Re:Belarus 'diverts Ryanair flight to arrest journalist', op... by t0mas88 on Sunday May 23, 2021 @03:27PM (#27257789)

The fighter jet was there to intercept. All commercial pilots are trained to follow standard procedures when intercepted. Which comes down to: 1. Let ATC know, 2. Establish radio communication or use standard signals if unable, 3. Follow directions by the intercepting plane instead of ATC.

The radio words to use are standardised so they even work in case one side doesn't speak English. The signals are also very simple (rock wings, certain turns, gear up/down).

No need to think about being shot down or not, no need to scare, any commercial flight being intercepted would follow directions.

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Re:Belarus 'diverts Ryanair flight to arrest journalist', op... by nemetroid on Sunday May 23, 2021 @06:16PM (#27259133)

This does not refute the parent commenter's point.

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Re:Belarus 'diverts Ryanair flight to arrest journalist', op... by bellyfullofbac on Sunday May 23, 2021 @02:58PM (#27257558)

Huh, surely the Belarusian government wouldn't dare shoot it down? But I guess if I were the Ryanair captain responsible for all souls onboard, landing it is the safest choice.

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Re:Belarus 'diverts Ryanair flight to arrest journalist', op... by csomar on Sunday May 23, 2021 @03:15PM (#27257692)

> Huh, surely the Belarusian government wouldn't dare shoot it down?

No sane or insane pilot is going to risk it, however. Unless the pilot was certain that his and all of passengers fate were in danger, they are going to follow that fighter jet.

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Re:Belarus 'diverts Ryanair flight to arrest journalist', op... by dzhiurgis on Sunday May 23, 2021 @06:25PM (#27259208)

I think that just changed hours ago. Flying over Russian/Belarus is now considered harmful.

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Re:Belarus 'diverts Ryanair flight to arrest journalist', op... by tomjen3 on Sunday May 23, 2021 @08:00PM (#27259762)

A sane government would not, but a sane government would also not hijack the plane.

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Re:Belarus 'diverts Ryanair flight to arrest journalist', op... by cortesoft on Sunday May 23, 2021 @03:16PM (#27257695)

Iran shot a commercial passenger plane down last year, so it isn't exactly outside the realm of possibility.

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Re:Belarus 'diverts Ryanair flight to arrest journalist', op... by elliekelly on Sunday May 23, 2021 @03:26PM (#27257783)

Not intentionally.

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Re:Belarus 'diverts Ryanair flight to arrest journalist', op... by tremon on Sunday May 23, 2021 @03:58PM (#27258020)

No need to go looking for examples from halfway across the world, Russia was complicit in the downing of MH-17 over Ukraine: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MH-17#Cause_of_the_crash

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Re:Belarus 'diverts Ryanair flight to arrest journalist', op... by V-2 on Sunday May 23, 2021 @07:13PM (#27259483)

And directly responsible back in the Soviet era: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_Air_Lines_Flight_007

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Re:Belarus 'diverts Ryanair flight to arrest journalist', op... by cmrdporcupine on Sunday May 23, 2021 @04:25PM (#27258281)

Yes, intentionally:

https://nationalpost.com/news/world/iran-shot-down-plane-ful...

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Re:Belarus 'diverts Ryanair flight to arrest journalist', op... by cortesoft on Sunday May 23, 2021 @04:23PM (#27258255)

A court in Canada ruled that it was intentional https://nationalpost.com/news/world/iran-shot-down-plane-ful...

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Re:Belarus 'diverts Ryanair flight to arrest journalist', op... by elliekelly on Sunday May 23, 2021 @05:14PM (#27258647)

It was a default judgment.

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Re:Belarus 'diverts Ryanair flight to arrest journalist', op... by tut-urut-utut on Sunday May 23, 2021 @05:33PM (#27258779)

Would that need to be either Iranian or some international court? Why would a Canadian court be responsible for Iranian air zone?

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Re:Belarus 'diverts Ryanair flight to arrest journalist', op... by cmrdporcupine on Sunday May 23, 2021 @10:25PM (#27260557)

Because it was mostly Canadians murdered on that aircraft.

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Re:Belarus 'diverts Ryanair flight to arrest journalist', op... by cortesoft on Sunday May 23, 2021 @06:37PM (#27259270)

What international court?

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Re:Belarus 'diverts Ryanair flight to arrest journalist', op... by goatinaboat on Sunday May 23, 2021 @03:50PM (#27257962)

Iran shot a commercial passenger plane down last year, so it isn't exactly outside the realm of possibility.

Don’t forget https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran_Air_Flight_655

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Re:Belarus 'diverts Ryanair flight to arrest journalist', op... by varjag on Sunday May 23, 2021 @03:47PM (#27257936)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1995/09/14/a...

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Re:Belarus 'diverts Ryanair flight to arrest journalist', op... by varispeed on Sunday May 23, 2021 @02:58PM (#27257555)

That depends - they wouldn't want a plane with a bomb to explode over a city for example, so the jets could be used to "neutralise" the threat. Obviously in this case the bomb was fake and so the threat...

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Re:Belarus 'diverts Ryanair flight to arrest journalist', op... by ilyaeck on Sunday May 23, 2021 @03:01PM (#27257581)

P-lease! the case is crystal clear: the MIG was used to threaten the plane into landing!

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Re:Belarus 'diverts Ryanair flight to arrest journalist', op... by iso1210 on Sunday May 23, 2021 @03:21PM (#27257734)

The MIG was no doubt there to ensure the plane obeyed air traffic control

It's not unheard of for military jets to escort civilian planes to an airport, for example

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/ryanair-flight-escort...

(Of course the situation of how the bomb threat came to be is different in this case, and IMO airlines now need to avoid Belarus overflights)

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Re:Belarus 'diverts Ryanair flight to arrest journalist', op... by varispeed on Sunday May 23, 2021 @04:57PM (#27258528)

Have you read this? https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2019/09/05/911-oral-...

https://twitter.com/PavelLatushka/status/1396519000830582784

Belarusian Air Force fighter-interceptor manoeuvred to signal to the pilots of a Ryanair airliner:follow me”. The captain of the civilian aircraft was obliged to obey. The captain may have disobeyed the dispatcher's command, but the threat from a military aircraft was obligatory.

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