The unexpected 1961 hijacking that turned a routine flight into a political detour
In short: On a clear November morning, a Lockheed Super Constellation departing Morocco was intercepted by a pilot-turned-terrorist. Discover how a single man used his aviation expertise to force a mid-air diversion.
At 9:15 A.M. on November 10, 1961, Captain José Siqueira Marcelin was flying a TAP airlines flight from Casablanca to Lisbon when he was held at gunpoint. The hijacker, 39-year-old antifascist Hermino da Palma Inácio, used his background as a former aircraft mechanic to challenge the pilot's claims regarding fuel levels.
Inácio demanded the plane fly over several Portuguese cities, including Barreiro, Beja, and Faro. This event occurred during an era when aerial terrorism was a burgeoning phenomenon, presenting a unique challenge to flight crews.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: The Classiest Plane Hijacking of All Time
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