Hijacked!
Reader's Digest India|November 2020
The one-hour commuter flight 50 years ago started out routinely. It ended up changing how we fly
Neil Swidey
Hijacked!

THE UNITED STATES IN THE 1960s had been plagued by so-called skyjackings, but none had turned deadly. For some experts Flight 1320 on St Patrick’s Day, 1970, is a dividing line in aviation history. Before it, major carriers could treat the threat of hijacking as barely more serious than an air-traffic delay, and let passengers walk on to planes without screening them. After it, everybody knew better.

THEY SPRINTED ACROSS Newark Airport in New Jersey, two middle-aged men desperately trying to make their 7:30 p.m. flight, home to Boston. By the time they got aboard Eastern Airlines Flight 1320, they were sweating. As the stewardess secured the passenger door behind them, Lloyd Pedersen looked back to his colleague Al Cavalieri and said, “How lucky are we?”

Within minutes, this shuttle flight on 17 March 1970, with its 68 passengers and five crew members, was in the air. It was scheduled to land in Boston in under an hour.

About 30 minutes into the flight, Pedersen, a plant supervisor, and Cavalieri, a mechanical engineer, were talking shop when two stewardesses, one blonde, the other brunette, both in their 20s, appeared at their row pushing a cart. Passengers didn’t need reservations for the shuttle, and they paid in the air—the fare was $21 (₹1,541).

The brunette greeted Pedersen and Cavalieri. Her name tag read Sandy. She was pleasant and efficient and soon moved on to the row behind them.

This story is from the November 2020 edition of Reader's Digest India.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the November 2020 edition of Reader's Digest India.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM READER'S DIGEST INDIAView All
ME & MY SHELF
Reader's Digest India

ME & MY SHELF

Human-rights lawyer, activist and teacher, Nandita Haksar is the author of 25 books. Her latest, Shooting the Sun: Why Manipur Was Engulfed by Violence and the Government Remained Silent, looks at the complex identity politics surrounding the ethnic clashes that broke out in Manipur in 2023.

time-read
2 mins  |
March 2024
Elevator from the Subcontinent, by Gigi Scaria, 2011
Reader's Digest India

Elevator from the Subcontinent, by Gigi Scaria, 2011

Elevator cabin with three backlit projections, automatic door system with microcontroller, 9.3 minute video.

time-read
1 min  |
March 2024
RD RECOMMENDS
Reader's Digest India

RD RECOMMENDS

DUNE: PART 2 in theatres (1 March)

time-read
4 mins  |
March 2024
22 RIVERS across 22 STATES in 22 MONTHS
Reader's Digest India

22 RIVERS across 22 STATES in 22 MONTHS

A lone canoeist crosses America in search of what binds us together

time-read
9 mins  |
March 2024
ELOPEMENT SPRINGS ETERNAL
Reader's Digest India

ELOPEMENT SPRINGS ETERNAL

At the ripe age of 65, we decided to run away and get married

time-read
3 mins  |
March 2024
IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE TUAREGS
Reader's Digest India

IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE TUAREGS

A journey to the Tassili n'Ajjer plateau in Algeria reveals rock paintings dating back millennia

time-read
5 mins  |
March 2024
Awarding Excellence
Reader's Digest India

Awarding Excellence

A look back at the 2023 Trusted Brand Award presentation ceremony hosted by Reader's Digest India last month.

time-read
2 mins  |
March 2024
The Great Unknown
Reader's Digest India

The Great Unknown

An unlikely friendship helped my son grapple with divorce, death and ...

time-read
7 mins  |
March 2024
NIGHTMARE ALLEY
Reader's Digest India

NIGHTMARE ALLEY

A couple, fleeing the shelling in Ukraine, are captured by Russian troops. It's up to their frantic son-living 2,400 km away-to get them free.

time-read
10+ mins  |
March 2024
BE FRIENDS WITH YOUR MONEY (AND MANAGE IT TOO!)
Reader's Digest India

BE FRIENDS WITH YOUR MONEY (AND MANAGE IT TOO!)

This successful Internet entrepreneur, content creator and bestselling author shares his tips for anyone trying to kickstart their investment journey

time-read
3 mins  |
March 2024