AlaskaAV
GONE WEST
Mission, TX
First of all, I hate the h*j**k word so lets just say we had a Boeing 737 aircraft taken by an unauthorized passenger who wanted to head for Cuba out of Anchorage. OK?
Started out as a normal early morning out of Anchorage in the 70s as I recall. Good weather and normal winds.
At some point, a potential passenger approached another airline ticket counter at the Anchorage International Airport (still can't get used to the new name) and asked to buy a one way ticket with cash on the first flight out. When he was asked where he wanted to go to, he said it didn't matter, just the first flight. Form of payment? Cash, one way? Need I say more?
That employee did everything exactly right as usual for that airline. Proper code was immediately on the PA system and security help was there within seconds. The potential passenger was taken away and the good guys took him apart, so to speak. Finally, he was brought back and security cleared him to fly. The on duty airline manager would not accept the passenger though and denied boarding. That is why they and the employees of that airline are so great even today. At the time, it was an Alaska based airline.
That passenger walked down to our ticket counter and tried the same thing. As per the same instructions as it was with all US airlines, the same code went out over the PA and help was immediately there and the same security personnel responded. Their comment was that the passenger had already been cleared for another airline. Our customer service agent thought it over and finally sold him a one way ticket, why I have no idea, for cash to Bethel, our first flight out. Where he went after that before boarding we do not know and no one ever found out where he had the blue steel weapon stashed.
Once the flight had departed and was about 20 minutes out of Anchorage, out comes that very scary blue steel thingie (also hate that g*n word in aviation) that all inflight airline employees hate to see, especially from a stranger and in flight.
Flight crew: one of our most senior Captains, first officer and second officer (we ran a flight crew of three at the time on our 737s) I am not sure about, normal seniority for the cabin crew except for one lady, her first trip out just after training.
Fuel: normal round trip fuel for Bethel plus reserves.
Load: normal for Bethel
Passengers: unknown to me.
Aircraft: 737-210QC with long range fuel tanks as most of our 737s carried.
Ok, now the guy is in control but no wild threats or demands. Our fantastic crew did exactly what they should have done, responded to the demands of the "passenger."
His demand: return to Anchorage and top off fuel and head for Cuba. Once back to Anchorage, he allowed all passengers to deplane immediately with no problems or threats as well as all flight attendants except for the new hire on her first flight. Because she was very attractive? Who knows. The cockpit crew (at that time) of 3 stayed.
As far as I know, there were no more demands at that time.
The crew had charts on board for all the US and Canada as well as Russia. (we figured if we were going to be taken in flight, it would be to Russia, not Cuba, since we flew the 737s to Nome and Kotzebue) Did the Captain have a weapon in his flight kit? I'll never tell either way since company instructions at the time was no weapons to be carried by the flight crews on big iron.
The Captain filed for Vancouver, BC, Canada for fuel and requested all necessary maps for Mexico and Cuba upon arrival. Once out of Vancouver to Mexico City for fuel, there was lots of time to talk and relax. I must commend the Captain at this point. He left everything up to the young lady in back to do the best she could. To my knowledge, he never left the cockpit as per regulations and the passenger never at any time tried to enter the cockpit.
Now comes a situation that always makes me so proud of our Wien employees as well as most airline employees in those days.
That new hire flight attendant, probably scarred out of her mind, was able to sit down and talk to the young guy as a friend, over coffee at one point so I heard. I do not even recall that he asked for a liquor drink. She got him calmed down enough durring the flight from Anchorage southbound so somewhere near Vegas or Phoenix, she was able to talk him into giving it up. Remember, this lady had no real training on how to handle a h*j**k and according to what the Captain told me, she almost never bothered them up front. She just used her own initiative. In all of my aviation management career, I always felt a lady in the back could do far more to keep passengers in control but shamefully now days, passengers have changed. The passenger gave her the blue steel which she took to the cockpit immediately and told the crew it was over so they turned around and headed back to Vancouver which they had plenty of fuel for. His requirement to the flight attendant was that he would only give himself up in Canada. The flight crew responded to his wishes.
Needless to say, we were parked in a secure area at Vancouver and lots of security met the aircraft but not one problem. Once cleared and the passenger taken off, the Captain took the aircraft back to Anchorage. Now this may or may not be true but I heard about it so take it for what it is worth. The company that fueled our 737 did not have a charge account with Wien and required the Captain pay cash for the fuel. He maxed out all his and other flight crew's personal credit cards and used all cash from everyone to get enough fuel to get back to Anchorage. All repaid upon arrival in Anchorage of course. Remember, I can't confirm that though.
Now this I cannot confirm either but I understood that the flight crew got a letter from the FAA for exceeding max flight hours in one day. I suspect when the Captain realized that he was beyond limits when he returned to Vancouver, he figured he just might as well head on to Anchorage. After all, it would still only be one letter which he would get anyway. Who knows, but suspect it might be true. We all know how the FAA can be at times even when a flight crew saves a flight and all passengers.
By the way, that passenger had just been released from prison in Alaska the day before and early for a felony firearm conviction for murder. Sometimes I believe that a parole board should be held responsible for the actions, aviation or otherwise, of anyone they parole early.
Not long after that, the entire flight crew involved were invited back to the White House for a personal meeting with the President in the Oval Office and received a special award presented by him. I also understand that the flight attendant never flew in a cabin again but instead, did extensive training all over North America, Canada and the US, to flight attendant training classes on cabin security. What a lady she was when I knew her. As I recall, she would have been around 22 or 23 years old. I suspect when it was all over, she suddenly became 45 though.
Oh how much fun it was to work aviation at times.
_________________
Started out as a normal early morning out of Anchorage in the 70s as I recall. Good weather and normal winds.
At some point, a potential passenger approached another airline ticket counter at the Anchorage International Airport (still can't get used to the new name) and asked to buy a one way ticket with cash on the first flight out. When he was asked where he wanted to go to, he said it didn't matter, just the first flight. Form of payment? Cash, one way? Need I say more?
That employee did everything exactly right as usual for that airline. Proper code was immediately on the PA system and security help was there within seconds. The potential passenger was taken away and the good guys took him apart, so to speak. Finally, he was brought back and security cleared him to fly. The on duty airline manager would not accept the passenger though and denied boarding. That is why they and the employees of that airline are so great even today. At the time, it was an Alaska based airline.
That passenger walked down to our ticket counter and tried the same thing. As per the same instructions as it was with all US airlines, the same code went out over the PA and help was immediately there and the same security personnel responded. Their comment was that the passenger had already been cleared for another airline. Our customer service agent thought it over and finally sold him a one way ticket, why I have no idea, for cash to Bethel, our first flight out. Where he went after that before boarding we do not know and no one ever found out where he had the blue steel weapon stashed.
Once the flight had departed and was about 20 minutes out of Anchorage, out comes that very scary blue steel thingie (also hate that g*n word in aviation) that all inflight airline employees hate to see, especially from a stranger and in flight.
Flight crew: one of our most senior Captains, first officer and second officer (we ran a flight crew of three at the time on our 737s) I am not sure about, normal seniority for the cabin crew except for one lady, her first trip out just after training.
Fuel: normal round trip fuel for Bethel plus reserves.
Load: normal for Bethel
Passengers: unknown to me.
Aircraft: 737-210QC with long range fuel tanks as most of our 737s carried.
Ok, now the guy is in control but no wild threats or demands. Our fantastic crew did exactly what they should have done, responded to the demands of the "passenger."
His demand: return to Anchorage and top off fuel and head for Cuba. Once back to Anchorage, he allowed all passengers to deplane immediately with no problems or threats as well as all flight attendants except for the new hire on her first flight. Because she was very attractive? Who knows. The cockpit crew (at that time) of 3 stayed.
As far as I know, there were no more demands at that time.
The crew had charts on board for all the US and Canada as well as Russia. (we figured if we were going to be taken in flight, it would be to Russia, not Cuba, since we flew the 737s to Nome and Kotzebue) Did the Captain have a weapon in his flight kit? I'll never tell either way since company instructions at the time was no weapons to be carried by the flight crews on big iron.
The Captain filed for Vancouver, BC, Canada for fuel and requested all necessary maps for Mexico and Cuba upon arrival. Once out of Vancouver to Mexico City for fuel, there was lots of time to talk and relax. I must commend the Captain at this point. He left everything up to the young lady in back to do the best she could. To my knowledge, he never left the cockpit as per regulations and the passenger never at any time tried to enter the cockpit.
Now comes a situation that always makes me so proud of our Wien employees as well as most airline employees in those days.
That new hire flight attendant, probably scarred out of her mind, was able to sit down and talk to the young guy as a friend, over coffee at one point so I heard. I do not even recall that he asked for a liquor drink. She got him calmed down enough durring the flight from Anchorage southbound so somewhere near Vegas or Phoenix, she was able to talk him into giving it up. Remember, this lady had no real training on how to handle a h*j**k and according to what the Captain told me, she almost never bothered them up front. She just used her own initiative. In all of my aviation management career, I always felt a lady in the back could do far more to keep passengers in control but shamefully now days, passengers have changed. The passenger gave her the blue steel which she took to the cockpit immediately and told the crew it was over so they turned around and headed back to Vancouver which they had plenty of fuel for. His requirement to the flight attendant was that he would only give himself up in Canada. The flight crew responded to his wishes.
Needless to say, we were parked in a secure area at Vancouver and lots of security met the aircraft but not one problem. Once cleared and the passenger taken off, the Captain took the aircraft back to Anchorage. Now this may or may not be true but I heard about it so take it for what it is worth. The company that fueled our 737 did not have a charge account with Wien and required the Captain pay cash for the fuel. He maxed out all his and other flight crew's personal credit cards and used all cash from everyone to get enough fuel to get back to Anchorage. All repaid upon arrival in Anchorage of course. Remember, I can't confirm that though.
Now this I cannot confirm either but I understood that the flight crew got a letter from the FAA for exceeding max flight hours in one day. I suspect when the Captain realized that he was beyond limits when he returned to Vancouver, he figured he just might as well head on to Anchorage. After all, it would still only be one letter which he would get anyway. Who knows, but suspect it might be true. We all know how the FAA can be at times even when a flight crew saves a flight and all passengers.
By the way, that passenger had just been released from prison in Alaska the day before and early for a felony firearm conviction for murder. Sometimes I believe that a parole board should be held responsible for the actions, aviation or otherwise, of anyone they parole early.
Not long after that, the entire flight crew involved were invited back to the White House for a personal meeting with the President in the Oval Office and received a special award presented by him. I also understand that the flight attendant never flew in a cabin again but instead, did extensive training all over North America, Canada and the US, to flight attendant training classes on cabin security. What a lady she was when I knew her. As I recall, she would have been around 22 or 23 years old. I suspect when it was all over, she suddenly became 45 though.
Oh how much fun it was to work aviation at times.
_________________
