Hisgirl

It was an attempted hijacking during 1967-1974. It was an Atlanta bound plane, I think, and maybe? a Delta plane. It could have been Eastern. The FBI was called in and the plane never left the ground as the hijacker was shot dead through the cockpit window.

Does anyone remember this?

The reason I ask is that back in 1982, I worked at Delta and was being stalked. They brought in their head of security to work with me and he gave me a cassette to set a recording device on my home phone. The cassette wasn't blank, but was a recording made by that hijacker out in the parking lot right before he attempted to hijack the plane.

My daddy was an administrator at the airport at the time and when I asked what he remembers, he said he thought it might have been a Delta plane, they called in the FBI and the hijacker was shot dead through the window.

I can't seem to find anything at all on the internet about this. I know the dates are correct. Anybody got any ideas?

AFAM-DFW

a bit later at at 1977 but I found this:

http://tvnews.vanderbilt.edu/program.pl?ID=490986

Hisgirl

Thank you for that. Always so interesting to read! This was definitely during the years stated as my Dad was an administrator during the time this happened.

Brattflyer

One of the great benefits of the internet and sites like FlyerTalk is it' ability to draw information out of a crowd. I'm part of the crowd and I knew the hijacker Michael Hannon. I met him in Minnesota in 1973. At the time he seemed like a calm, relaxed, laid-back, nice guy. A year or so later I ran into the person he'd been staying with and she told me that Michael had left town and at the time he'd left he had become increasing obsessed with robbing a bank.

Flash forward to Halloween 1977. I hadn't heard about Michael in 3 years. A friend and I are doing a road trip from Minneapolis to Glacier National Park. Six hours into the trip we hear about the hijacking on the radio, and Michael Hannon is named as the hijacker. Over the next 30 hours we are a captive audience as we drive across the plains and listen to the ongoing saga of the hijacking, how is father begged him to give up, and his death by sniper. This was also the weekend when Lynrd Skynrd's plane crashed. It was the 70's, we were young, and it felt like the world was coming to an end.

I have often thought about Michael in the context of terrorism and in the context of PTSD which we knew little about at the time. I can fantasize how the conversation might have gone had the Flyertalk Safety and Security thread existed in 1977.

Hisgirl

Wow, yes, small world!( However, the fellow you refer to, Mr. Hannon, shot himself in the head after freeing the passengers.)

I'm still looking for info about the Atlanta incident that occured in the early 70s or late 60s. Early 70s I believe. I can't find a thing. It's like it never happened, but I know it did.

Ocn Vw 1K

As this is a travel security issue, I'll move to the apt security forum. Ocn Vw 1K, Moderator, TravelBuzz.

chgoeditor

Is there a possibility that your father might be getting confused over the details of the event, given the number of planes that were hijacked from Atlanta during that time? By my count, they include:
* Feb. 10, 1969
* Feb. 25, 1969
* March 17, 1969
* August 20, 1970
...and those are just the planes hijacked to Cuba.

Here's another hijacking that includes some of the details you describe:
1975 United flight hijacked en route to Newark, lands in Atlanta where FBI agents arrest him

Hisgirl

Well, it's not just my dad remembering that the guy was shot dead. When I called the head of security, to report he had given me a 'non blank cassette' with this guy's last words, I asked about the circumstances and was told the same story my dad told me.

The tape was made in the parking lot, he tried to take over the plane and was shot dead through the plane window. But I can't find anything. Since the head of Delta's security had the tape, I am assuming it was a Delta plane. It's weird that I can't find anything on this. I was given the tape in 1983, and I remember what the guy said on the tape. He knew he was going to be killed and even requested what he wanted on his tombstone.

chgoeditor

Any chance the head of Delta was responsible for security airline wide? This story has many similar elements.
* 1974
* Delta plane bound for Atlanta
* Hijacker made audio recordings about his plans
* Stormed the cockpit
* Law enforcement shot at the windows and cockpit door
* Plane never took off

Hisgirl

I'll betcha this is the guy. Yes, the security fellow was head of all Delta's security. I'm going to listen to a youtube video of his speaking. I remember something specific he said, and it's probably the same fellow. Great detective work!

chgoeditor

Given that Samuel Byck planned to crash the plane into the White House, he certainly intended to die. I bet he's the guy.