The deranged African man who nearly crashed a British Airways jumbo jet is suffering from acute paranoia and was terrified other passengers were out to kill him, his doctors claim.
Paul Kefa Mukonyi, 27, of Kenya, has displayed signs of paranoia since November, and stormed the cockpit of the Boeing 747-400 on Friday because he felt threatened, they said.
“We are of the very firm belief from his story that at no point did our patient contemplate the hijacking or doing harm to anyone,” said Dr. Frank Njenga, a consulting psychiatrist at Nairobi Hospital.
“When everybody was settling down [in the jet], he felt completely crowded and he said people in front and behind were threatening him.
“He ran toward the front of the airplane – believing people were in hot pursuit of him.”
The Kenya-bound flight from London’s Gatwick Airport survived two violent nose-dives over Sudan after Mukonyi burst into cockpit and struggled with the co-pilot.
Mukonyi was restrained with the help of the captain, as well as passengers close to the cockpit.
During the two-minute struggle, Mukonyi turned off the autopilot, causing the jet to plummet 10,000 feet, then another 9,000 feet.
The plane – containing 398 people, including Roxy Music frontman Brian Ferry – later landed safely.
Mukonyi, receiving medical attention in Nairobi Hospital, is unaware of the disaster he almost caused, his doctors said.
“All he remembers is somebody hit him on the back and somebody put a finger in his eye. When he came to, he was so frightened,” said Dr. Dan Gikonyo, another consulting physician.
“To him, he was the one who was in danger.”
Since November, Mukonyi believed he was being followed and spied on in France, where he’s studied tourism since September 1999.
His illness could have been brought on by the stress of exams, Gikonyo said.
Mukonyi kept a diary of his fears, and on three occasions reported his concerns to French police. But cops said they couldn’t help because there was no proof he was being followed.
As his fears increased, he felt it was imperative he escape to Kenya, the doctors said.
Meanwhile, hero pilot William Hagan, 53, is awaiting the results of AIDS tests after being bitten on the ear and finger by Mukonyi in the struggle.