Howell Grange
BELIZE CITY, Thurs. July 10, 2025
Three persons who were on the ill-fated Tropic Air flight from the airstrip in Ranchito, Corozal to San Pedro, Ambergris Caye on the morning of April 17, 2025, when a hijacking of that plane by a United States military veteran took place, have retained Senior Counsel Dean Barrow to notify the Belize Airport Authority (BAA) of intended legal proceedings against it within a month. However, the Authority is being asked to reach a settlement to avoid litigation.
The trio includes Captain Howell Grange, the pilot who was commandeering the aircraft when it was hijacked by American national, Akinyela Sawa Taylor; Fitzgerald Brown, a San Pedro businessman who was the first of three people stabbed during the flight and who ultimately fatally shot Taylor with his licensed firearm as the plane finally landed at the Philip Goldson International Airport (PGIA); and Lilia Usher, a U.S. resident with Belizean roots.
The suit, to be filed under the Public Authorities Protection Act, would be based on the claim that the BAA, which has the statutory duty to provide security at Belize’s municipal aerodromes/airstrips, breached its general duty of care due to negligence, resulting in harm to the intended claimants. Under applicable civil aviation security legislation, the BAA is responsible to implement and maintain statutory security measures such as weapons screening protocols at the municipal airstrips. Because this was not in place, the claim would be made that the BAA facilitated the hijacking.
Two of the intended claimants suffered personal injuries. Grange himself was stabbed by the hijacker, who had asked to be flown to the U.S. Through a carefully coordinated ruse involving Civil Aviation staff and security officials designed to convince Taylor he was, in fact, being flown to the U.S., Captain Grange successfully landed the aircraft at the PGIA. In total, Taylor stabbed three passengers. The third was a Tropic Air employee.
Compensation is additionally being sought for the mental anguish and post-traumatic stress suffered by the intended claimants.
Captain Grange, who sustained 11 stab wounds during the incident, continues to undergo physiotherapy with monthly evaluations. The hope is that the physical rehabilitation will soon conclude. However, his trauma therapy is expected to extend well beyond that timeline.
Brown was stabbed seven times and also had to undergo physiotherapy.
On the day the incident occurred, the BAA announced that it had been working from January 2025 to put in place security measures at the main municipal airports. However, the Ranchito airport was not included in the contract of the companies which were to provide those security services. As a result of the incident, the BAA was renegotiating the contracts when it became public knowledge that proper procedure was not followed in the awarding of the contracts. The BAA would later inform the public that the contracts were terminated and alternative measures were being put in place to ensure safety at the aerodromes.
British Caribbean News
