there was more than one. it appears right now we are narrowing things down to the fact that there may just be one on board. what we know about this possible hijacker is he is some kind of a veterinary professor at alexandria university. that's coming from wire reports. and from nbc news though a high level source has told the network that this actually could be a personal matter involving a woman. so this could be a domestic issue that turned into a hijacking and now this plane is on the ground there in cyprus. i want to bring in clint van zandt, a former fbi chief hostage negotiator. looking at this on the whole and seeing it's a domestic and not a larger act of terrorism, if you will, i guess for those on the groundworking to make this situation go away as quickly and peacefully as possibly, that's

good news on their part. >> well, it's very good news. as you know, the flight was scheduled to be 30 minutes, flying from alexandria to cairo. somewhere during that flight, the hijacker allegedly announced to the pilot that he was hijacking the plane. and that he wanted the plane to fly to istanbul. supposedly the pilot said we don't have the gas to get to istanbul. so somehow this decision was made to land in cyprus. that's the one question i have -- if in fact that's true, according to the egyptair authority, if the individual originally wanted to go to istanbul, you know, it makes this domestic situation a little challenging. let's see, i'll go to turkey, well, if i can't go to turkey i'll go see my ex-wife somewhere else. the authorities have to understand what's taking place there as well as according to egyptair authorities, he has

indicated that if his ex-wife was brought to the plane and he sees there, that the situation will be resolved. that supposedly he'll surrender. now, what that means, how serious he is about doing that, authorities now are starting to tread on a little thin ice. they want to make sure psychologically they fully understand why he wants the wife, what the relationship is. i have done this exact same thing as a hostage negotiator and brought a relative to the scene, but you have to be careful in debriefing that relative and making sure you understand the relationship between that person and the hijacker before you ever introduce them into the area of the plane or anywhere around there because you don't know how emotionally explosive it could be. so it looks like this could be resolved relatively quickly. but authorities don't want to move too quick until they understand the emotions that are involved in this whole situation. >> yeah, that's a good point. because you don't want to bring the ex-wife to the situation and

it get highly charged and highly emotional and actually it put everyone in harm's way and it escalates the situation because of whatever is going on between those two. but i think when we're looking at this and we're trying to dissect everyone, this seems to be a guy with, you know, an educational background. but to go so far as to hijack a plane for a personal matter that has a lot of people scratching their heads. >> i think it does too. if you want to go see her, if you're going to buy a ticket anyway, why not buy a ticket to cyprus and go see her? we may find out they have a stormy relationship and this is the way he insured himself she was going on the there. and in a challenged mind

sometimes we have to work very hard to discern what the reason is. you know, it's something called the chaos theory. there's always order within a chaotic situation. we just have to work to understand that order and there is order in a chaotic mind and again the authorities are trying to understand this. what they're trying to do is lower that threat level. they want to keep assuring the hijacker that no one has been injured, he's done the right thing by releasing these passengers. if i or jim cavanaugh were the negotiators we'd want to make sure we got a promise from him if a decision was made to bring the ex-wife to the scene that all of the other passengers and crew would get off the plane before we would introduce her to him in that environment. we would want to make sure for her own safety too this wasn't someone who was so angry that he wanted to injure her or hurt

himself. so there's a lot of pieces that have to be put together for something that looks like it could be resolved simply. it will take some time. >> all right, clint, stand by. i want to bring in jim cavanaugh, a former atf agent. you have been with me on the air for a couple hours now, watching all of this play out. as you see all the pieces being put together right now, what's going through your mind? >> very positive signs, like clint, you know, there's reasons with the ex-wife, there's reasons to talk. there's ways forward to drop the emotion of this guy. as the talk continues. when you're talking, nobody's dying. emotions can drop. you can't reason well when you're in a high emotional state as this guy was when this hijacking unfolded. so as it gets on the ground, the other passengers are released, you gather the four nationals and the flight crew and you have

a dialogue going, even if that dialogue, betty, is about whether he wants to talk to the ex-wife, i'm in total agreement with clint. we have done this different ways. clint has done it many different ways. you know, we had a barricade guy we were talking with, we were in a shoot-out with and he wanted to talk to his 10-year-old son, but we were afraid he might commit suicide. so we had the little boy make a tape. the little boy makes a tape or the ex-wife makes a tape and says, i still love you, joe, please come out. but she may not be present. so that's all kinds of technique. a letter, a tape, a message that can be worked out first. it's not to say you can't ever do it. we have done it too. we brought relatives to bear, but you have to be very cautious. i think really at this point what you want to -- just continue the dialogue.

keep talking. >> right. keep the conversation going. >> -- and stabilize it. >> and jim, it does appear that there's plenty of daylight left so they have time on their side to try to talk this guy out of whatever he had on his mind when he went for this hijacking situation. and then they are now on the ground there in cyprus. i want to bring in nbc's rehema ellis, she's in our london bureau there. what's the latest on the newest information coming in to you? >> well, we hope to get new information shortly. we understand that egyptian aviation authorities are planning to hold a news conference. that should happen at any moment now and we'll get you information on that as soon as we can. the good news, as you have been pointing out s that the majority of the passengers have been released. that four people remain on board this flight. we do not know the nationality of the four passengers who remain. we know that at 1.8 americans were among those who were on

flight. this domestic airline that was scheduled to go from alexandria to cairo. but was forced to divert its flight path and land in cyprus instead. and the fact that we are hearing also from the president of cyprus who said that this is not -- repeat not a terrorism case, but it is now -- that's leading us to confirm that it does appear to be a case of a domestic issue. the reports that this person had thrown a letter from the plane on to the tarmac, maybe that is one way that authorities got information about this person being interested in speaking with his ex-wife who we understand is from cyprus. and now what they're doing is negotiating with him, to see if they can bring this to a peaceful resolution. but the majority of the people

have been taken off the plane. in terms of passengers we know that according to the egypt civil aviation authority one person on the plane was a security person. is that security person still on board, it is unclear. if that person is on board, are they able to help authorities in terms of negotiating this person to release the remaining passengers and crew and to ultimately surrender? that's not clear either. but this is a fluid situation, it's evolving, and we're learning things by the moment, betty. >> all right, rehema, thank you so much for that information. we do want to let you know just setting the stage here is -- it's about 12:09 p.m., just after noon there in cyprus. a lot of time left still for the negotiators to speak with the hijacker there. there is a press conference coming up and when that happens we'll bring that to you and bring you that information. but again, this plane is on the ground. most of the passengers off of it. and we continue to follow this breaking news situation.

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all right. you are looking at live pictures out of cairo. this is the civil aviation ministry. we are waiting for a press conference to take place any moment there. we are hoping to get new information on this egyptair flight ms 181 that has been hijacked which is actually now on the ground in cyprus. that is the good news. we also have learned that of the 81 passengers and crew on board, most everyone has been set free except for four foreigners and seven crew members. now, the cyprus president has said this is not an act of terrorism and in fact, this is more a domestic issue. what we are learning from high-level sources telling nbc news that the hijacker has requested that he be allowed to speak to someone, a lady who appears to be his ex-wife and negotiators are discussing the

possibly of bringing that woman to him. i want to bring in now clint van zandt, former fbi chief hostage negotiator. as we await on this press conference with this entire situation playing out, i guess the good news that this is not a larger act of terrorism. >> no, it doesn't seem to be at all. again, international news sources and those on the ground are suggesting that this individual's -- the supposed hijacker's ex-wife is in fact in country. they have identified her. again, unconfirmed reports suggest that she is a mother of four children that she's had with the hijacker and that she's being brought to the scene. so hopefully, once they get her to the scene they'll be able to talk. they'll be able to resolve this. whatever his issue is. but again, you and i would say, why couldn't these things be

handled by a long distance telephone call, so we don't know how emotionally charged the situation is. when it starts to be a domestic issue, when those emotions are involved, when children are involved, it can get very sticky. but it sounds like the authorities are on top of it. i would suggest that they may feel stronger in their belief whether there is or is not an explosive device on board and based on that may feel more comfortable in the way they deal with the hijacker. >> yeah. you know, looking at the situation, too, there were reports that he may have an explosive belt. but now that we're learning all this other information, that may not even be the case, correct? but at the same time, you can't take any chances. >> no, you can't take any chances. we did a study in the fbi looking -- now, this is back in '70s, '80s, '90s and we looked

at the hijackers who claimed to have an explosive device based on the ones that actually did and it was a very small number that were able even back then to sneak an explosive device on board. but, you know statistics be darned. you have the lives of a number of people and a multimillion dollar aircraft so they're not taking the chance. but i can tell you there will be a feeling amongst the police and negotiators that the individuals involved, whether there is or is not an explosive device, and based upon that will kind of suggest how the negotiations continue. >> all right. clint van zandt, former chief hostage negotiator, i want you to stand by, clint. because we're continuing to follow this story and we're waiting on that press conference to take place at any moment there out of cairo, at the civil aviation ministry. hoping to learn some new information, but a little bit of information now we are learning in fact that this could be a domestic situation. and most of the most of the hostages have been set free.

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we are learning more about the alleged hijacker on the plane. according to the associated press, he's an egyptian with dual egyptian citizenship. in the wee hours we have learned this is not an act of terrorism on the whole, but it's more of a domestic situation involving the hijacker's ex-wife. i want to bring in nbc's rehema ellis in our london bureau with the latest on the newest information coming in to the newsroom there. what have you learned? >> betty, we are hearing more reports about who this alleged hijacker is. as you point out that he's an egyptian citizen with dual citizenship. we are seeing reports that he is a 27-year-old professor. and that he allegedly had told crew members that he had an explosive vest strapped to him. and that he demanded the plane be landed in cyprus. there are reports that once in cyprus, he did throw a letter

from the plane on to the tarmac. and in that requesting to have an opportunity to speak with his estranged wife or ex-wife. there are reports that this ex-wife lives in a village not far from the airport in cyprus. there may be some efforts to bring her there. that is at this point absolutely not clear. we're also hearing there was something like 27 passengers on board this egyptair flight, of those eight americans were on this flight as well as a security officer who was on board. whether that security officer remains on this flight it's unclear, but as you point out there are four hostages remaining on this flight with crew members and the hostage taker again has been -- of any demand it seems to be the demand that he have an audience or speak with in some way his ex-wife. there is some good news i think to this. and this is that the majority of

the passengers have been released from this plane and that the president of cyprus has reported that this is not an act of terrorism leading us to conclude as we have been talking about that this is a domestic issue. if this person has explosives it doesn't make it any less serious. in fact, it's just as serious in any circumstance if there are explosives. that's something that we do not know for sure at this moment. but the fact that the person is alleging to have explosives is enough to certainly divert this plane from its intended route of alexandria to cairo, and now to be sitting on the tarmac in cyprus. and authorities are negotiating with this individual to try to bring this situation to a resolve. betty? >> rehema, thank you for that report. as you look at the upper right-hand corner of your screen, you see this press conference is under way there at

the civil aviation ministry in cairo. we are deciphering the information and having translators look through it to give you the newest and the latest coming from the officials there. in the meantime, though, i want to bring in clint van zandt, former fbi chief hostage negotiator. just because this is a domestic situation as it appears to be doesn't mean it's any less important for the negotiates to try to diffuse this as safely as possible, even if we don't know if there's truly an explosive device on board. >> sure. i think that the police officers in america would tell you some of the more dangerous situations they have been involved in had been domestic situations where emotions are allowed to go unchecked. we know that, you know, earlier this morning this plane was supposedly flying from alexandria to cairo. a 30-minute flight. the individual announced a hijacking and the plane was diverted to cyprus.

the authorities know what seat the hijacker was sitting in so they have quite a bit of background information on him. once the plane was landed, he provided a note or a letter that suggested he wanted his estranged or ex-wife who lives there and who is a national in cyprus to be brought to the airport. there are reports that they have four children together. so law enforcement is at the point right now of trying to get the remaining hostages off the plane. trying to stabilize, lower the emotions of the hijacker, and part of that may be after they debriefed the ex-wife, perhaps even bringing her to the scene. they don't have to necessarily put her on the plane, but they can let her -- should they choose, let her talk to him on the phone. >> they're trying to diffuse the

situation any way possible. we'll check back with you. a press conference is under way at this hour. you see it in the top right-hand corner of your scene, that's the aviation in cairo. we'll bring that to you. and in the meantime, this hijacking situation and hostage situation is still under way on the ground there in cyprus. negotiators are speaking with the hijacker. we will continue to follow this story and bring you the latest information. "way too early" starts right after this. you focus on making great burgers, or building the best houses in town. or becoming the next highly-unlely dotcom superstar. and us, we'll be right there with you, helping with the questions you need answered to get your brand new business started. we're legalzoom and we've already partnered with over a million new business owners to do just that. check us out today to see how you can become one of them. legalzoom. legal help is here. everhas a number.olicy

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good morning. it's tuesday, march 29th, i'm

jonathan capehart. breaking news overseas where officials say an egyptair airliner has been hijacked. it's been a fluid situation, with changing scenarios much of the morning but the flight was en route from alexandria to cairo with 81 passengers on board. and five crew at the time of the incident. the plane landed at larnaca airport at cyprus where it has been ever since. one of the passengers told the pilot he had an explosive belt and that the hijacking seems to be about a personal matter involving a woman possibly an ex-wife. according to the a.p., the president of cyprus has said the hijacking not related to terrorism. egyptair is reporting that everyone has been allowed to get off the plane except for seven crew members and four foreigners who right now we don't know the nationalities of the passengers said to be still on board. joining us live from london is rehema ellis.

and what more do we know about the situation? >> reporter: jonathan, what we know is just moments ago, in a news conference conducted by the egypt aviation authority, as you point out this is a fluid situation. and they said that there were 55 passengers on board this plane and five crew members. again, that number is much lower than what we had heard earlier of some 80 passengers, but again according to the egypt aviation authority, 55 passengers on board. they also say what you have just mentioned. that the hijacker was wearing an explosive belt and forced the pilot to divert its course from the intended route of alexandria to cairo and to land in cyprus instead. we have been getting reports that once on the ground, the majority of the passengers were allowed to leave with the exception as you point out there are four foreigners remaining on board and seven crew members. from the egypt civil aviation