During the 1970s, abduction It has become a unpleasant global phenomenon. The note incident included a southern flight, as the kidnappers detained passengers and the captive crew for more than 24 hours, forcing the plane at the United States intersection before heading to the Caribbean.
The three perpetrators demanded a ransom of $ 10 million – the reward to 48.8 million dollars in 2025 dollars. Their scheme was revealed when the DC-9 landed in Cuba, where the authorities quickly arrested.
“Billy Bob, we are taking the plane”
The kidnapping was held on the 49th Southern Airlines flight on November 10, 1972. After Memphis, Tennessee, left DC-9, who was carrying 31 passengers in Birmingham, Alabama, before they left Miami, Florida, around 1900 local time. William Hao was the pilot, with Harold Johnson the pilot.
Johnson Talk to IS magazine About what security was during his period as a pilot:
“No manifestations of airport security in the 1960s were almost not almost exist … I traveled to the airport, bought a ticket, examined your luggage, walked to the gate, and the plane was independent. Perhaps the policeman was present somewhere, but there was no” airport security “at that time.”
Soon after taking off, a man broke the cabin door open, raising a flight attendant while referring to a pistol on her head and screaming “Billy Bob, we are taking the plane!”.
The suspects were identified as Henry Jackson Junior, Luis Moore and Melvin Cal from Detroit, Michigan. The three men were facing a trial for previous accidents.
The three men, all of whom were black, expressed their frustration with Johnson and Haas about the way in which the application of the law is not commensurate with black society in Detroit. They insisted on redirecting the trip there, demanding that the city be provided with $ 10 million.
The pilots had to fear for their lives, so the trip traveled to Jackson, Mississippi, to refuel and then head north towards the city of Motor.
A great danger above the Great Lakes
The flight flew 49 20,000 feet over Detroit and the city was divided into a time when Jackson and Moor, an agent with city officials, negotiated about 10 million ransoms.
Southern Airlines and the city of Detroit made only $ 500,000 each. Criminals Reject The pilots asked to fly over Cleveland, Ohio, then to Toronto, Canada. At 0500 o’clock the next day, FBI agents suggested $ 500,000 to the kidnappers at Toronto Pearson International Airport, but this offer was also rejected.
Men commanding pilots to travel to Noxfil, Tennessee. At this stage, the men raided the wine cabinet in DC-9 and shared alcohol with the hostages. The FBI and two other aircraft from southern Airlines were affiliated with the DC-9 by air.
One of the southern Airlines kidnappers negotiated again with officials, saying that if he is not $ 10 million on the table, he will hit the plane in the Atomic Energy Committee in Oak Ridge.
“We will make this look worse than Munich.”
DC-9 is equipped again in Lexington, Kentucky. It was when the agents agreed to deliver $ 10 million.
DC-9 fell in Catanoja, where the FBI handed over a bag of money and a bucket of fried chicken in Kentucky. Men knew only that the money is only about $ 2 million. Regardless, they were in good morale after receiving it.
Despite the seizure of money, the three men refused to release their prisoners, and instead, they directed the trip to converting again to Cuba to meet the dictator Fidel Castro. Men ended up changing their minds and wanted to fly to Algeria, Africa.
Johnson knew that the flight was impossible, as the plane was running out of fuel. But they have guns. We did not, ‘ Johnson called.
After flying 200 miles over the Atlantic Ocean, criminals decided to refuel in America and then fly to Cuba.
The chaos ends in Havana
The plane is equipped in Ki West, Florida. The FBI agents, including the Acting Director L. Patrick Gray, met when landing. The kidnappers demanded that President Nixon meet, but this request was rejected. Then the plane continued to the McCoy Air Force Base in Orlando, Florida, where it was supplied again. The 49th flight of Orlando started again, despite the shooting of the FBI two of its four tires.
“Submit an example” from Johnson, Jackson and More were carrying out it at the time and there is inside the cabin. Johnson took out the arm arm from the road and the bullet hit his arm, and bone destroyed.
Since the DC-9 was in the air again, Haas entered the cabin and stated that he needed Johnson to fly despite the loss of his arm.
In that evening, the plane landed in Havana, Cuba. The Cuban army was well prepared and immediately arrested the men.
Johnson claims that he does not remember the journey to Cuba. He said he was not able to contact his wife until he returned to America. When Johnson asked her if she knew that his journey was kidnapped, she answered, “The whole world knows.”
Johnson spent three months in the hospital and an additional three months in rehabilitation. In 1974, Johnson and Has received the gold medal of the Tayyar Air Association for the tournament. He returned to Southern Airlines that year and retired in 1986.
Jackson, an agent and Mour, was held in Cuba for eight years before being delivered to America. In 1981, Southern Airlines prison was sentenced to at least 20 years in prison, minus time in Cuba.
It was not known when Jackson was released from prison. Conditioned was released from Cale in 1993, while Moore It was released in 1998.