Eastern Air Lines Shuttle Flight 1320, carrying passengers from Newark to Boston, was hijacked around 7:30 p.m. on March 17, 1970, by John J. Divivo who was armed with a .38 caliber revolver.[1] Captain Robert Wilbur Jr., 35, a former United States Air Force pilot who had been promoted to captain six months prior was confronted by Divio, who ordered him to fly east and alert him when the plane was going to run out of fuel. But something startled the suicidal hijacker, who shot Wilbur in the arms. Despite his wounds and his copilot being shot and unconscious, Wilbur safely landed his aircraft while talking to air traffic control, telling them his copilot was shot and needed emergency services.
.jpg) The aircraft involved in the hijacking, while operating for Northwest Airlines in 2009 | |
| Hijack | |
|---|---|
| Date | March 17, 1970 |
| Summary | Aircraft hijacking |
| Site | Boston-Logan International Airport, MA, USA |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31 |
| Operator | Eastern Air Lines |
| Registration | N8925E |
| Flight origin | Newark Liberty International Airport, Newark NJ |
| Destination | Logan International Airport, Boston, MA |
| Passengers | 68 |
| Crew | 5 |
| Fatalities | 1 |
| Injuries | 2 |
| Survivors | 72 |
Wilbur: We're on 3100 and you better get the police at the airport. The copilot is shot. Get us in a hurry BOS.
Boston ATC: 1320, I gotcha, continue right inbound to the airport. You're 13 miles east, indent on code 04.
Wilbur: Ok, get-get an ambulance to the airport also. My copilot is discombobulated. He can't talk or anything. He's passed out. We've been shot. [2]
His copilot, James Hartley, 30, was shot and collapsed. Despite being mortally wounded, Hartley was able to force the gun from Divivo's hand and shoot the would-be hijacker three times before lapsing into unconsciousness, and eventual death. Despite his injuries, Divivo arose and began clawing at Captain Wilbur, attempting to force a crash. Wilbur hit Divivo over the head with the gun he had retrieved from the center console.[3] The pilot was able to land the plane safely at Logan International Airport, and the hijacker was arrested.[4] On October 31, 1970, Divivo hanged himself in Charles Street Jail while awaiting trial.[5][6]
The incident was the first aircraft hijacking in the United States to end with a fatality.[7]
See also
edit
- Federal Express Flight 705 – 1994 incident involving a suicidal hijacker who was overpowered by an airline flight crew
- List of accidents and incidents involving commercial aircraft
- List of aircraft hijackings
References
edit- ^ Hijacking description at the Aviation Safety Network
- ^ "'You don't understand, Captain. He has a gun': The hijacking of Flight 1320". BostonGlobe.com. March 20, 2020. Retrieved 2020-03-20.
- ^ Tristani, J.P. (March 30, 2009). "One heck of an in-air gunfight on a civilian jet". Boston.com. Retrieved 2009-03-30.
- ^ Walker, Adrian (March 20, 2009). "Friends in high places". Boston.com. Retrieved 2009-03-30.
- ^ "Eastern Airlines Hijacking, 1970". CelebrateBoston.com.
- ^ "Man Accused in Sky Murder Is Found Hanged in Boston". Corpus Christi Caller-Times. Corpus Christi, Texas. AP. November 1, 1970. p. 15. Retrieved March 21, 2020 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ Swidey
Further reading
edit- Swidey, Neil (March 20, 2020). "'You don't understand, Captain. He has a gun': The hijacking of Flight 1320". The Boston Globe. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
- Wilbur III, Robert M. (2019). Reluctant Hero: The Story of Eastern Airlines Flight 1320. Amazon Digital Services LLC - Kdp. ISBN 978-1090674814.