British Man's Bizarre 'Selfie' Moment with Plane Hijacker Leaves Passengers Terrified

During the 2016 hijacking incident of EgyptAir flight MS181, a British citizen reportedly requested a selfie with the hijacker, Seif Eldin Mustafa, who had claimed to be carrying a suicide belt. Fortunately, all passengers were safely evacuated from the aircraft, and authorities successfully apprehended the hijacker.

The incident in question occurred in 2016 when an EgyptAir flight MS181, en route from Alexandria to Cairo, was hijacked by an individual who claimed to have a suicide belt. Despite the alarming situation, all passengers were eventually permitted to disembark the plane after it was diverted to Cyprus.

The bizarre incident

During this event, a particular individual attracted attention for his unusual behavior when he reportedly requested a selfie with the hijacker. The incident highlighted the diverse and sometimes perplexing reactions that can occur in such intense and stressful situations.

While en route to Cyprus, Innes approached the hijacker, who was seated with the airline crew, and asked for a selfie. His unconventional action garnered attention and sparked discussions about the different ways individuals may respond in high-pressure situations.

Surprisingly, the hijacker did not object and agreed to be photographed with Innes. This unexpected interaction added a peculiar twist to the already extraordinary circumstances surrounding the hijacking incident.

 

Twitter reactions

He posed with the happy British guy. The picture garnered a lot of attention on social media. One person commented, "It has to be the best selfie ever.” Another stated, "greatest photobomb ever? Or not?"

"His big guy couldn't take him out?" a third individual questioned. Flight footage, which eventually revealed the hijacker to be Seif Eldin Mustafa, showed the courageous British guy engaging in conversation with him. Evidently, Innes asked the crew to assist him in communicating his request to Mustafa. The terrorist shrugged and accepted to be photographed with the man despite not speaking English.

Hijacker’s motive

The incident continued to attract significant attention as the clip captured the shocking moment of Ben Innes posing with the hijacker while a member of the flight crew took the photo. Although the picture was not technically a selfie, Innes' action drew widespread interest and discussion.

Subsequently, it was revealed that the hijacker's motive for the incident was to visit his former wife in Cyprus. Furthermore, investigations confirmed that the belt he claimed to be armed with explosives was actually fake. As a consequence, the hijacker was sentenced to life imprisonment for his actions.