VANCOUVER — When a light aircraft started circling Vancouver International Airport on Tuesday afternoon, airport officials began diverting aircraft away from what police later described as a hijacking.
But authorities elsewhere were hurrying to send planes to the scene — fighter jets tasked with intercepting the rogue flight.
Norad confirmed on Wednesday that it scrambled the F-15s in response to the alleged hijacking that disrupted operations at YVR.
A spokeswoman for the North American Aerospace Defence Command says additional F-18 fighters were also being readied to respond, but the Cessna landed at YVR before those planes were deployed.
"I can confirm that the civilian pilot landed his aircraft before the fighters intercepted it," she said. "So an interception did not occur because of the aircraft landing."
Videos of the incident posted on social media show police cars closing in on the Cessna as it taxis after landing on YVR's north runway.
One video shows the door of the aircraft swinging open before it even stops moving. A person in dark clothing emerges and starts walking backwards towards a group of officers, who can be seen in other online images pointing weapons at the bearded man.
RCMP said the lone occupant of the Cessna was arrested after landing but have not disclosed a potential motive.
However, a recording of a conversation involving a Vancouver air traffic controller on Tuesday suggests the incident may have been motivated by "some type of protest."
In the conversation that is part of an online archive of air traffic recordings, the grounded pilot of a commercial jet asks why his plane is being held at the gate.
An unidentified air traffic controller responds that a Cessna is circling about 500 feet over the airport in an apparent protest and the situation could last "a couple hours," although the Cessna landed about 10 minutes later.
The controller and the grounded pilot also discuss when such an incident last occurred, and one of them is heard saying "maybe the '70s."
Another controller in the recordings says at about 1:13 p.m. that the pilot of the Cessna stated he had hijacked the aircraft and was heading to Vancouver, and flight data show the plane circling above the airport for about 25 minutes.
The incident resulted in what YVR called a 39-minute "ground stop" for arrivals.
Vancouver air-traffic control had first mentioned a "rogue aircraft" shortly after 1 p.m., asking nearby aircraft to keep an eye out for the Cessna 172 and to inform controllers of any need to "manoeuvre as necessary."
RCMP in Richmond, B.C., where the airport is located, said the plane landed at about 1:45 p.m., 47 minutes after online flight data showed the aircraft taking off from Victoria International Airport.
Victoria International Airport said in a statement the Cessna was operated by the Victoria Flying Club.
In its response, the club said no further details can be shared due to an active and ongoing investigation "with numerous factors still being assessed."
The BC Prosecution Service said the Public Prosecution Service of Canada had conduct on the case, and federal agency did not respond to a request for comment.
Police did not immediately respond to requests for updates on the case, including the identity of the pilot.
Another recording of a radio conversation between airport operations for arrivals and departures that occurred while the aircraft was circling above says the suspect "expected to be arrested."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 16, 2025.
Chuck Chiang, The Canadian Press
