First airplane hijacking leads to crash over sea
- In 1948, a flight from Macao to Hong Kong crashed, leaving one survivor.
- Wong's inconsistent story and actions indicated a hijacking, involving robbery and ransom.
- The Miss Macao incident led to major developments in aviation security and the term hijacking.
On July 16, 1948, a significant aviation incident occurred over the sea, involving the Miss Macao, a Consolidated Model 28 Catalina seaplane. The aircraft was on a scheduled flight from Macau to Hong Kong. At that time, air travel was much simpler, often compared to taking a bus, with passengers purchasing tickets upon boarding. The Macau Air Transport Company conducted the flight without a traditional airport in Macau, utilizing coastal waters for take-offs. Tragically, the flight ended abruptly when it crashed during an attempted hijacking by several passengers who had other plans in mind. Concerned authorities were alerted as the plane went missing, prompting intensive search efforts by the Hong Kong police. In the days that followed, an intriguing narrative developed as a single survivor, Wong, claimed that the plane had exploded midair. However, inconsistencies in his account, alongside his attempt to flee from the hospital, raised suspicion amongst authorities and the local press. They soon deduced that the Miss Macao had fallen victim to a hijacking plot, a term not widely used at that time. The incident was labeled