Commuter Plane Held in Oregon; Hostages Taken

HILLSBORO, Ore. — A Horizon Aircraft commuter plane from Eugene to Portland was hijacked Friday night and forced to land at Hillsboro, officials said.

The plane was sitting with its lights on about 300 yards from the terminal at the Hillsboro airport, about 15 miles west of Portland.

The hijackers reportedly demanded parachutes and water, officials said.

Status of Passengers Not Known

Capt. John Vallery of the Washington County sheriff’s office said he did not know how many people were on-board the Horizon Air twin-engine Metroliner. Earlier reports said there were 12 passengers on-board.

There were conflicting reports as to whether there were one or two hijackers on-board the aircraft. The twin-engine turboprop had left Eugene’s Mahlon Sweet airport and was flying to Portland International Airport when it was taken over by the hijackers, officials said.

A television station in Portland, KOIN-TV, said that the FBI had begun negotiating with the hijackers, but a spokesman at the Portland FBI office refused to confirm or deny the report.

Mike O’Connor, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration in Seattle, said that it is “still a hostage situation.”

Horizon Air is a commuter airline serving the Pacific Northwest.