Rattled Pilot ???
Fri "The Australian"
Passenger with evil on his mind
By John Ferguson and Mark Buttler
May 30, 2003
GLUED to their windows watching a sun-drenched Victorian coast disappear in the distance, most passengers on Qantas Flight 1737 failed to notice the middle-aged man in the brown pinstripe suit.
The man undid his seatbelt and rose silently from row seven with evil on his mind.
The seatbelt warning light had just been turned off, but he was not hanging around.
In seconds he was standing in the aisle, raising his hands and revealing two carefully sharpened wooden stakes, a yellow cigarette lighter and silver aerosol can.
The sudden movement startled many of his 46 fellow passengers who looked away from Bass Strait with Phillip Island fading away quickly filling their cabin windows.
In that split-second of recognition, their surprise gave way to terror as every plane passengers' post-September 11 nightmare came true before their eyes.
Rushing now, the man surged forward past rows six, five, four, three . . . the cockpit was now almost within his grasp but he had not counted on the bravery of crew and passengers.
The first to react was a 38-year-old male flight attendant who confronted the assailant in the aisle, blocking his path to the pilot.
But the man was not so easily deterred.
He kept coming.
The attendant pushed the man away from the cockpit, using his head as a battering ram.
Passengers screamed in horror as blood spurted from the crewman's neck after one of the wooden weapons found its mark in the tussle.
Not thinking of her own safety, a female flight attendant, 25, rushed forward to help her stricken colleague and was slashed across the face.
As terror rippled through the cabin, six courageous passengers and more crew piled on top of the attempted hijacker, crushing him under their combined weight.
In 20 seconds the terror threat was over.
They bound him with plastic ties and wedged him between two seats.
Behind the locked cockpit door, the rattled pilot radioed Melbourne airport alerting them to the mid-air emergency.
The jet was turned around and set on a direct course for Tullamarine.
Outside the cockpit, for what seemed an eternity but was in reality probably closer to 20 minutes, passengers and crew sat on the would-be hijacker.
Melbourne airport had never looked so good.
Fire crews and police raced to the tarmac, surrounded the plane and arrested the disarmed man as the plane landed at 3.15pm - less than 30 minutes after take-off.
The stewards received urgent medical help, along with two passenger heroes who had received slight injuries.
Distressed passengers, some weeping, were comforted by fellow travellers.
Bags were later removed from the jet with forensic investigators and sniffer dogs examining several of them.
At gate 12, in the Qantas domestic terminal, investigators also removed several bags of evidence.
Passengers were counselled in the airport lounge. They were served red and white wine and Crown Lager beer.
"I'm glad it's over," said a young mother with a four-year-old son.
About 7pm the nervous passengers were led on to another flight for Launceston.
They landed safely and without incident.
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