Forty one years ago today, the US instituted airport screening at New Orleans\u2019 Moisant Field, now known as Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport.\u00a0 Prior to 1968, the hijacking Of US airliners was very rare.\u00a0 In the two years leading up to 1970, however, the number of hijackings increased dramatically.<\/p>\n
Through the mid-1960s, only two hijackings occurred in the United States.\u00a0 On May 1, 1961, Antulio Ramirez Ortiz hijacked a National Airlines flight to Cuba from Miami.\u00a0 Six years later, Louis Babler, hijacked a Piper Apache to Havana from Hollywood, FL.<\/p>\n
In 1968, things changed.\u00a0 Hijackers commandeered 15 airplanes from the United States to Cuba.<\/p>\n
The following year, the number of hijackings increased dramatically.\u00a0 There were 34 total incidents in 1969. \u00a0April was the only month in which there was no air piracy.\u00a0 January saw eight hijackings; there were four in February, March, and June; three each in August and September; the months of May, July, and October had two hijackings each; and November and December each had one.<\/p>\n
Hijackings declined considerably over coming the years.\u00a0 In 1970 and 1971, the US saw 13 hijackings to Cuba each of those years.\u00a0 There were only six in 1972 and then only one hijacking each in the years 1974, 1979, 1980, 1985, 1992, and 1993.\u00a0 In 1996, there were two hijackings.<\/p>\n
For the most part, these events did not involve injury or death to the pilots, cabin crews, or passengers.\u00a0 During those three decades, airline management preached the mantra of non-confrontational compliance.\u00a0 Historically, if a captain faced a hijacker, he or she knew if they gave in to the hijacker\u2019s demands, they would go to Cuba and eventually find their way home unhurt.<\/p>\n
Things changed dramatically on June 14, 1985.\u00a0 TWA Flight 847 originated in Cairo with 139 passengers and a crew of eight.\u00a0 On the leg between Athens and Rome, members of Hezbollah and Islamic Jihad took control of the aircraft.\u00a0 What followed was a three-day ordeal in which the hijackers demanded the pilot fly the aircraft to various destinations throughout the Middle East.<\/p>\n
In the course of the hijacking, passengers were tortured, including US Navy diver, Robert Dean Stethem.\u00a0 The hijackers tortured and killed Petty Officer Stethem and dumped his body from the aircraft onto the tarmac at Beirut.<\/p>\n
Because of this hijacking and the events of September 11, 2001, airport security has become a high-level priority.\u00a0 In addition, the government has authorized, and some pilots have elected, to fly armed.<\/p>\n
More than likely, as the passengers of United 93 so inspirationally demonstrated, Americans probably will never allow the takeover one of our flights again.<\/p>\n
-30-<\/p>\n
\u00a92011 J. Clark<\/em><\/p>\n Subscribe by email<\/a><\/p>\n Note: Email subscribers, please go to <\/em>my blog<\/em><\/a> to view vids and photos\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Forty one years ago today, the US instituted airport screening at New Orleans\u2019 Moisant Field, now known as Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport.\u00a0 Prior to 1968, the hijacking Of US airliners was very rare.\u00a0 In the two years leading … Continue reading