Z.Buyannemekh stops terror attack
216 passengers were abroad the Cathay Pacific flight 712 when a Filipino terrorist attempted to open the cockpit door and crash the plane. Z.Buyannemekh, with the help of the second pilot, stopped the man from opening the door.
Z.Buyannemekh: - I didn’t realize I did a heroic deed. I’m just a regular businessman. My family is from Khaliun som of Gobi-Altai Province. I am 31 years old.
In 2004 I started a company in the mining sector called, Alfa Asset Management Mongolia, and also with the help of my friend Khartsaga (Mongolian national wrestling title) G.Gankhuyag, I started a the Bukh Khartsaga Construction Company.
-Did you tell your family (parents), about stopping a terrorist? What was their reaction?
-I haven’t had the chance to talk to them. I just turned on my phone, and I’m receiving calls nonstop (laughs). G.Gankhuyag said he called my parents to let them know. He said my father said, “We never know what he’s doing or where he is. What if he gets hurt?” Though he is harsh on the outside, I think he is proud.
-What happened on the plane?
-I was supposed to fly from Thailand to Honk Kong, and to Ulaanbaatar yesterday. I used the Cathay Pacific’s flight number 712, which took of around 16:10 from Thailand. The incident occurred about 25 minutes before the landing, which was around 19:00. I was sitting in the second row, on the right side, and I was listening to music with on my earphones, then a guy passed by me on my right heading to the door. He tried to open the door, and the flight attendants were trying to stop him. And a moment later, I am choking the guy from behind, and after I took him down, the second pilot handcuffed him and he was restrained.
With the help of the second pilot and the two flight attendants, I tied him up to make sure. Apparently planes have handcuffs and ropes designed for safety. Until the landing, he was guarded by a Korean fellow and me.
-Did he resist when he was tied up?
-He was tied to the chair, and I was holding him down, so what can he do?
-Was the terrorist who attempted to open the plane door, heavily built? What did he do when you chocked him?
-He is a 40-year-old Filliino man, height around 180cm. He kept yelling and struggling, and was very unstable, he was even sobbing later. I don’t know if he wanted to commit suicide, or take down the plane.
He didn’t seem to be drinking alcohol or anything.
-How many passengers were on the plane? Didn’t anyone else beside you try to help?
-I found out later that there were 216 passengers. I was in business class, and there were around 20 people. I think I even saw two kids. Nobody moved, I guess they were panicing or something.
-Weren’t you afraid?
-Yes of course, I was afraid. I get treated medically in Thailand. In fact, I was returning after I had a treatment. I didn’t think about my health, because the guy was holding the door with one hand and pushed the pilot to the ground with the other, all the while a female attendant was struggling with him. Seeing this, I couldn’t just sit and watch. Only after he was tied to the chair did I have the thought that if I hadn’t moved, the plane might have crashed.
-People say, in moments like this, your life flashes before your eyes. Did you think about your family, or your country?
-It all happened way too fast for me to have any thoughts. I had the thought later though, and was afraid of what could have happened. I think Mongolians are like this. I didn’t realize I did a heroic deed. I wasn’t thinking of saving my life, or even the passengers. I just knew I had to stop that man.
-Did you have the thought that he might be part of a terrorist organization and your family might be in danger, after you tied him up?
-I had trouble relaxing afterward but such a bad thought never crossed my mind.
-The assailant didn’t use any weapons?
He didn’t use any weapons. But the Hong Kong press reported that he had a knife. How could they have allowed a knife on the plane? Security should have been more careful.
-Did the passengers congratulate or thank you?
-Yeah they made a big deal, gave me a round of applause, and kept asking me where I was from, whether I work in the police or serve the military, or if I am a professional fighter. I was proud to answer that I was just a regular citizen of Mongolia.
I think there is something in the genes and blood of the Mongolians. Former Minister of Defense L.Bold stated in an interview, “In Iraq, when there is a bombing, American soldiers get under the table, but Mongolian soldiers run to their guns.” There is some truth to this.
-It’s hard to take down a tall man like that. Do you play any sports?
-I’m not a sportsman. My friend is the national wrestler Kharthaga G.Gankhyag, so whenever we go to the countryside, he teaches me wrestling moves. The moves my friend taught me helped me save my life.
-We have been informed that the plane made an emergency landing. What did the Honk Kong police ask you?
-Yes, an emergency landing was required. The other passengers left, but they questioned me for about an hour on the plane. They asked for my identification and did a backgrounds check, and asked me simple questions like; ‘Do you need medical help? Are you ok?’ I told them I was fine, and that I needed to fly back to Ulaanbaatar. When I stepped outside the plane, the press people, representatives of the airline, and doctors greeted me to congratulate and thank me. The doctors kept asking me whether I want to go to the hospital. Apparently, if I hadn’t stopped the man, the plane would have landed in Hong Kong, and the lives of 216 would have been in danger.
-Is it true that the airline gave you a lifetime certificate to fly for free?
-Yes. The representatives of the airline said I could fly for free for a lifetime. I had to fly back to Ulaanbaatar, so they said they would send the certificates later. But I didn’t do it to get a reward.
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