A hijacking alert, Israeli fighter jets scrambled, and a passenger aircraft turning back near Cyprus – all because of an incorrectly entered code. Poland’s national carrier, LOT Polish Airlines, has revealed what was behind Tuesday’s confusion surrounding flight LO155 from Warsaw to Tel Aviv. It turns out the incident was caused by an incorrectly configured transponder.
As LOT Polish Airlines spokesperson Krzysztof Moczulski explained, the entire incident was caused by the incorrect setting of the aircraft’s transponder – a device that automatically transmits information about the aircraft to air traffic control.
“A transponder code indicating a threat was accidentally selected,” the spokesperson said. This was the key to the incident: in aviation, specific transponder codes have strictly defined meanings, and one of them signals a hijacking. Entering that code by mistake was enough to trigger a chain of emergency responses.
The system reacted immediately. “Air traffic control asked whether the pilot was confirming the emergency declaration. The pilot replied that he was not, because it had been declared by mistake,” Moczulski said.
Before the situation was clarified, however, the Israeli Air Force had already responded. As previously reported by the Israeli news outlet Ynet, the pilot reportedly activated the hijacking signal while the aircraft was flying through Turkish airspace. Following the alert, two Israeli fighter jets were scrambled, and the military later announced that “the incident had been resolved.”
The LOT spokesperson, however, downplayed reports about the escort itself. “The fact that Israeli fighter jets were scrambled does not necessarily mean that they reached the aircraft,” Moczulski noted.
The aircraft turned back near Cyprus and landed safely in Burgas, Bulgaria. “It was a mistake. The aircraft landed safely, and no one was harmed,” the spokesperson concluded.
Human Error and an Exceptional Incident
Moczulski acknowledged that the incident was most likely caused by human error. “It was most likely human error, but this will be investigated,” he said. He added that the incident was “an absolutely extraordinary occurrence” that is virtually unheard of.
The matter will not end with verbal explanations alone. The LOT spokesperson said the incident would be reported to the appropriate authorities in accordance with established procedures. The Israeli side also treated the matter seriously. According to Ynet, senior aviation officials consider the incident highly unusual and potentially dangerous, and an immediate investigation is expected to be launched.
