University of Virginia Library

Student Describes 747 Hijacking By Arabs

By Steve Johnson
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

Richard L. Cochrane, a first-year
student at the University, had a very
interesting experience on his way to
school this year. He was hijacked to
Cairo.

Because of a transfer in the family,
Mr. Cochrane spent the summer in
Brussels, Belgium with his family and
toured most of Europe. On September 6,
Mr. Cochrane boarded Pan Am Flight No.
93 for his return trip to the States and
enrollment here in school.

"Minutes after take-off, the pilot
announced the destination as New York
and proceeded to explain the details of
Pan Am's new 747 Jumbo Jetliner," stated Mr.
Cochrane. "At the end of his little speech, he
invited any of the interested passengers to
'come forward and see the cockpit. Our door is
always open.' "

Beirut

"Five minutes later, the co-pilot came over
the intercom and explained that two men from
the Popular Front for the Liberation of
Palestine had come to survey the control panels
and had expressed a desire to fly to Beirut,
Lebanon. The co-pilot then added, 'Folks,
that's where we're going.' "

In an interview, Mr. Cochrane stated that
seated next to him was a Delta pilot bound for
New York to make a connection.
"Unfortunately, he knew everything about the
new 747 and told me we could never land in
Beirut because the runway was not made to
handle a plane of that size. At the time, none of
us knew exactly why we were being hijacked or
what the Arabs wanted. Needless to say, I was a
little uneasy about the whole situation."

Israeli Ambassador

Mr. Cochrane explained that the two men
who "looked just like ordinary businessmen"
proceeded to take up passports in an effort to
locate an Israeli ambassador headed for
Washington. "A little Jewish man was sitting
across the aisle shaking like a leaf, almost in
tears and sure enough they dragged him to the
first-class compartment which they had cleared
for their own use.

Some of the passengers made crank
comments and threats directed at the guerrillas.
With this, all military personnel were directed
to the forward cabin where one of the two men
stated, 'We are already dead and we know it.
Sometime before this is all over I will die. Any
more resistance from the passengers and we
won't hesitate to kill all of you. We'll blow this
plane up in mid-air if that's what it takes to
keep you quiet. Why should we care what
happens to you?' "

Guerrillas Embarrassed

Several minutes later the little Jewish man
returned to his seat, still shaking but obviously
relieved to know that he was in no more danger
than any of the rest of us. They [the guerrillas]
seemed to be very embarrassed — their man was
on another flight."

By this time the plane was nearing Beirut
and the pilot announced that all passengers
should prepare for a rough landing. The
hijackers, feeling that they would have
sanctuary in the Lebanese capital, began to
assemble their equipment which included
plaster explosives and prepared to leave the
plane.

"When we landed, I could feel the pilot
throw the jets into full reverse and the plane
fish-tailed all the way down the runway. We ran
off the concrete onto the temporary payment
but managed to land safely. We could all see the
Lebanese Army which had surrounded the
airport and seven more guerrillas boarded the
aircraft without incident. Having realized that
the Lebanese government was not at all in
sympathy with their cause, the hijackers
ordered the pilot to take off and set a course
for Cairo."

Denied Clearance

While taking off, the plane ran into the
grass but managed to clear the oncoming trees.
Once in the air the guerrillas began a discussion
of what to do with the plane. Cairo had denied
them clearance saying that they would shoot
them out of the air before allowing them to
land.

"They couldn't decide whether to attempt a
landing in Cairo, to fly somewhere else, or to
blow up the plane in the air," mused Mr.
Cochrane, "but of course it wasn't very funny
at the time.

Plane Evacuated

"We landed in Cairo with directions to
evacuate as soon as the plane stopped. I could
smell the sulphur in the fuses burning when we
hit the ground. The chutes were opened and
people began to pile out of the aircraft. I think
everyone was amazed at the efficiency and
composure shown by the crew and passengers
alike during the flight and especially after the
landing."

A mid gunfire and smoke from the fuses, the
plane was evacuated. There was considerable
trouble with passengers being blown down by
the 85 m.p.h. winds from the jets of the plane.

"I was the last one out before the
stewardess. As we were running from the plane
two explosions went off somewhere near the
cockpit section. About fifty yards farther, the
rest of the 747 went up in smoke."

"People here keep saying 'Wow, I wish I'd
been there,' but I'd like to say I wish I hadn't.
It may have been an experience, but it was no
fun."

Photo by Rick Smith

Richard Cochrane

First-Yearman Hijack Victim