In Aviation, the hijacking refers to the seizure of an aircraft in the middle of the flight for unlawful possession. The intention to take control of the aircraft is usually a means of compulsion. It was a significant concern in the 19th century but now is rarely sighted. There can be several reasons behind the hijacking, mainly terrorism, political demands, the release of prisoners/perpetrators or ransom gains.
Throughout history, the skies above have witnessed the most fearful and shocking hijackings ever in history. These audacious hijackings have become permanent in the pages of history, every time you turn the page a dark memory haunts you. To discover the darkest side of human despair and intelligence, we’ll delve into the top 10 stories about airplane hijackers, excluding D.B Cooper as follows:
10) Arthur Barkley:
Source: longreads
Distressed from losing his job, Arthur Barkley a truck driver hijacked TWA Boeing 727 on 4th June 1970. The flight was scheduled for Washington, with a scheduled stop at St.Louis.
Half an hour later Barkley entered the cockpit. He carried a gun, a razor and gasoline ordering the pilot to land directly at Washington.The pilot signalled the news of the hijacking to the aviation. In the middle of the flight, Barkley astonished everyone by demanding the US Supreme Court a $100 million delivered to him upon landing. He hijacked the plane for his grievances but it led to a security alert.
In the aftermath, Barkley was restrained by FBI agents without any loss of life, ending the hijacking successfully.
9) Richard LaPoint:
Source: 99percentinvisible
An ex-paratrooper, Richard LaPoint hijacked an airline in Las Vegas on 31st October 1971. He demanded $50,000 cash, two parachutes and a crash helmet. Once his demands were met, he released two flight attendants and above 50 passengers.He hijacked the plane for personal gain. His weapon scared the passengers, A heavy flare was wired to a battery of nine volts which he called a “bomb”. As the plane landed at Denver airport for refuelling, the FBI agents captured LaPoint and ended the hijack successfully.
8) Frederick Hahneman:
Source: Wikipedia
Frederick Hahneman hijacked an Eastern Air Lines 175 from Pennsylvania to Florida on 5th May 1972. He demanded a hefty ransom of $303,000 and instructed the pilot to fly the plane to his native country, Honduras where he planned to make his escape. Upon reaching Honduran territory, Hahneman parachuted from the plane and disappeared into the dense jungle.
He remained there for more than 20 days. The harsh weather conditions and fear of being captured made him surrender himself to the US embassy. He hijacked the plane for personal gains and a hefty ransom amount and none of it was recovered, even though Hahneman surrendered himself. This illustrates how greed will make individuals to be trapped by their circumstances.
7) Richard McCoy:
Source: Wikipedia
Richard McCoy hijacked United Airlines 855 from New Jersey to Los Angeles on 7th April 1972. He boarded the flight with a heavy gun and grenades, demanding a ransom amount of $ 500,000 and four parachutes. As his demands were met, he released the hostages and instructed the pilot to take off to Utah where he planned to escape. His escape wasn’t successful as he was arrested within a few days of the hijacking and sentenced to prison.
6) Martin McNally:
Source: news.com.au
Martin McNally hijacked an American Airlines flight from St. Louis to Tulsa in June 1972. He sparked fear on the flight as he forced the crew to follow his orders, demanding a large sum of $502,000 cash and a parachute. As his demands were met, he planned to escape which didn’t go as intended. He was captured by the authorities, earning life imprisonment for this heinous crime.
5) James Bennett Jr:
Source: Tumblr
James Bennett Jr. hijacked the flight on 21 July 1972. He issued demands of a ransom amount of $500,000 cash and a flight to the Bahamas. He caused chaos aboard as he falsely claimed to have had a bomb with him on the flight. This caused fear among the crew and the passengers. His lies were the only weapon he used. He manipulated everyone into believing it and as the plane landed safely, the authorities came to know Bennett was lying. The authorities captured Bennett and later his wife revealed that his mental illness caused him to commit this dangerous act.
4) Glen Kurt Tripp:
Source: Factre Public
Glen Kurt Tripp is convicted of being involved in two Hijackings. He attempted the second hijacking as he failed the first attempt of hijacking due to his intake of Valium. The second attempt of hijacking was on Northwest Airlines 727 to Portland in 1980. He sparked terror during the flight as he threatened the crew and passengers with a bomb in his shoebox. He demanded $100,000 and two parachutes but since he was just 17 years old, he ended up agreeing hours later to leave the plane in exchange for three cheeseburgers and a rental car. The situation escalated and Tripp was fatally shot during a confrontation with FBI agents. This marked the end of the hijack.
3) Paul Joseph Cini:
Source: The DB Cooper Forum
Paul Joseph Cini hijacked Air Canada flight 812 from Vancouver to Toronto on 12th November 1971. He was armed with a shotgun and demanded a ransom of $50,000 cash. The chaos started aboard as Cini placed the weapon on the head of the flight attendant and took her hostage. Luckily, the flight attendant was a psychiatric nurse in the past so she was able to calm the situation. This bravery of the flight crew managed to overtake Cini and save the lives of the passengers. The hijack ended as Cini was arrested, and charged with multiple crimes.
2) Melvin Martin Fisher:
Source: Tumblr
Melvin Martin Fisher hijacked a plane on 5th September 1972. This hijack lasted a mere moment in the history of hijacks. His demands were straight, $550,000 in cash and a parachute. He was confident aboard and directed the pilot to change the location too. In the middle of the flight, the fear of getting captured and their vulnerability led Fisher to make an unexpected decision. Fisher handed himself over to the authorities. The mental pressure led to a surprising turn of events.
1) Robb Heady:
Source: Tumblr
Robb Heady hijacked United Airlines 239 Flight from Reno to San Francisco on 2 June 1972. He demanded a ransom amount of $200,000 and tried to shoot a flight attendant with his 0.357 revolver. As he received the ransom amount, he ordered a pilot on a specific flight path. The pilot with his cleverness, intentionally altered the flight path and diverted it to another direction. It caused Heady to miss the drop zone resulting in his capture. The ransom money was recovered and Heady was sentenced to serve in prison for many years. Heady was the most unluckiest hijacker, as history says.
Conclusion
In the end, these stories are a reminder that even skies that symbolize “freedom” can be transformed into a dark sanctuary with greed and fragile human nature. But, with hope and courage humans can end any testament no matter what. The history itself is evidence of the times when chaos never won over courage, those who pursue peace and prosperity always win in the end.
