Indonesian authorities have released an Australian man who caused a hijack scare on a Virgin Australia flight to Bali by trying to break into the cockpit.
Matt Lockley pounded on the cockpit door during a flight from Brisbane on Friday (April 25), forcing the pilot to issue an alert code to air traffic control. Several flights were diverted as the incident caused airport authorities to close Bali’s airport for nearly two hours.
“The flight was about to land and (Mr Lockley) was sleeping. The flight attendant woke him up and he went to the toilet. At the time, he thought the cockpit door was the toilet door,” Heri Wiyanto, a Bali police spokesman said.
Indonesian police released Lockley, saying it would be up to Australian authorities to decide whether to press charges, since the plane was registered in Australia.
He was released late Sunday and was to leave Bali on his own initiative.
