Dawson's Field hijackings

Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine

Company type	Militant organization
Industry	Political activism, militant operations
Founded	1967
Founder	George Habash
Area served	Middle East, international
Key people	Leila Khaled

Dawson's Field Hijackings

In September 1970, operatives from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) seized control of four airplanes en route to New York City and one destined for London. Three of these aircraft were compelled to land at Dawson's Field, a secluded desert airstrip near Zarqa, Jordan, formerly known as Royal Air Force Station Zarqa. The PFLP declared this location their "Revolutionary Airport." Throughout the ordeal, one hijacker lost his life and a single injury was recorded. This event marked the second major episode of multiple simultaneous aircraft hijackings, following an incident in 1950 when three planes from communist Czechoslovakia were hijacked and diverted to Munich, West Germany.

On 6 September, two flights—TWA Flight 741 originating from Frankfurt (operating a Boeing 707) and Swissair Flight 100 departing from Zürich (using a Douglas DC-8)—were forced to land at Dawson's Field. On that same day, the hijacking attempt on El Al Flight 219 from Amsterdam (also a Boeing 707) was thwarted: hijacker Patrick Argüello was fatally shot, and his accomplice Leila Khaled was captured and handed over to British authorities in London. Two additional PFLP members, unable to board the El Al flight, instead commandeered Pan Am Flight 93, a Boeing 747, diverting it initially to Beirut and subsequently to Cairo, bypassing the small Jordanian airstrip. Subsequently, on 9 September, a fifth hijacking occurred when a PFLP sympathizer took control of BOAC Flight 775, a Vickers VC10 arriving from Bahrain, forcing it to land at Dawson's Field as leverage to secure Khaled's release.

Out of approximately 310 hostages, most were transported to Amman and freed by 11 September. However, the PFLP separated flight crews and Jewish passengers, retaining custody of 56 Jewish hostages while releasing non-Jewish detainees. Additionally, six male hostages who were American citizens but not necessarily Jewish were held: Robert Norman Schwartz, a U.S. Defense Department researcher stationed in Thailand; James Lee Woods, his assistant and security detail; Gerald Berkowitz, an American-born Jew and college chemistry professor; Rabbis Avraham Harari-Raful and Yosef Harari-Raful, two Sephardi educators from Brooklyn; and John Hollingsworth, employed by the U.S. State Department. Notably, Schwartz was a Catholic convert with Jewish paternal heritage. On 12 September, ahead of their declared deadline, the PFLP detonated explosives to destroy the now-empty aircraft in anticipation of a possible military response.

The PFLP's use of Jordanian territory highlighted the growing independence of Arab Palestinian factions within the Kingdom of Jordan, posing a significant threat to the rule of King Hussein and his Hashemite monarchy. In reaction, Hussein imposed martial law on 16 September. From 17 to 27 September, Jordanian forces launched operations into Palestinian-controlled zones during what became known as Black September in Jordan, nearly escalating into a wider regional conflict involving Syria, Iraq, and Israel.

Ultimately, Jordan achieved a rapid military success that paved the way for an agreement on 30 September: the remaining PFLP-held hostages were released in exchange for Khaled and three other PFLP detainees imprisoned in Switzerland.

El Al Flight 219

El Al Flight 219, operated by a Boeing 707-458 with the registration Template:Airreg and serial number 18071, departed from Tel Aviv, Israel, bound for New York City. The aircraft carried 138 passengers along with a crew of 10. After a scheduled stopover in Amsterdam, Netherlands, the flight was targeted in a hijacking attempt shortly after takeoff. The perpetrators were Patrick Argüello, a Nicaraguan American, and Leila Khaled, a Palestinian.

Initially, the hijacking plot involved four individuals; however, Israeli security prevented two of the conspirators from boarding in Amsterdam. These two, traveling on sequentially numbered Senegalese passports, were stopped from boarding El Al Flight 219 on 6 September and instead purchased first-class tickets on Pan Am Flight 93, which they subsequently hijacked.

Argüello and Khaled boarded the plane posing as a married couple, passing through luggage security with Honduran passports, and took seats in the second row of economy class. As the aircraft neared the British coastline, they revealed firearms and grenades and moved toward the cockpit door demanding entry. In a 2000 interview, Khaled described the moment:

About thirty minutes after takeoff we had to act. We stood up; I removed the pins from my two hand grenades with my teeth to show everyone. Patrick stood as well. Gunfire erupted simultaneously as we passed first class; passengers shouted but I could not see who fired because it was behind us. Patrick instructed me to proceed forward while he covered my back. I reached the cockpit door, which was locked, and shouted for it to be opened. A flight attendant warned them I had two grenades, but they refused to unlock it. I threatened to detonate the plane if they did not comply.

Upon receiving notification via intercom of the hijacking attempt, Captain Uri Bar-Lev (aged 39) resolved not to surrender:

I decided that we would not be hijacked. The security officer was ready nearby to intervene. I informed him that I intended to maneuver the aircraft into negative-G conditions so that everyone would lose their footing. When an aircraft enters negative-G, it feels like a falling elevator; instead of steady flight, it dives sharply causing anyone standing to fall.

Implementing this tactic, Bar-Lev plunged the plane into a steep dive that destabilized the hijackers. Argüello reportedly threw his only grenade down the aisle, but it failed to detonate. Subsequently, after drawing his pistol, he was struck on the head with a whiskey bottle by a passenger. Argüello shot flight attendant Shlomo Vider before being fatally shot by an Israeli sky marshal according to eyewitnesses and security personnel. Khaled was overpowered by passengers and security staff during the incident as the aircraft made an emergency landing at London Heathrow Airport. She later asserted that Argüello had been shot four times in the back after their failed attempt to seize control of the plane. Vider underwent urgent surgery and survived his injuries; Argüello died en route to Hillingdon Hospital in an ambulance transporting both him and Khaled. British authorities subsequently arrested Khaled.

Nationalities on Flight 219

Nationality	Passengers	Crew	Total
Template:Country data Israel	118	10	128
Netherlands	10	0	10
United States	9	0	9
Canada	1	0	1
Total	138	10	148

TWA Flight 741

Template:Infobox aircraft occurrence TWA Flight 741, a Boeing 707-331B with the registration Template:Airreg and serial number 18917, was operating a global itinerary carrying 144 passengers alongside an 11-member crew. On this particular journey, the aircraft was en route from Tel Aviv to stops in Athens, then Frankfurt am Main, West Germany, before heading to New York City. The hijacking occurred during the Frankfurt to New York segment over Belgian airspace. The flight was commanded by Captain Carroll D. Woods, supported by First Officer Jim Majer and Flight Engineer Al Kiburis.

Rudi Swinkles, the flight's purser, recounted observing a passenger sprinting toward first class, initially suspecting a domestic dispute. Pursuing him, Swinkles soon noticed hijackers at the cockpit door demanding entry from a flight attendant. One male hijacker then turned, brandishing a nickel-plated .38 caliber revolver and a hand grenade at Swinkles, shouting "Get back! Get back!" Promptly, Swinkles took cover behind the first-class bulkhead divider.

The cockpit fell under the hijackers' control shortly thereafter. The male assailant kept his revolver aimed at First Officer Majer until the plane touched down at Dawson's Field, demanding, "I want you to turn this plane around." Meanwhile, the female hijacker addressed passengers via intercom: "This is your new captain speaking. This flight has been taken over by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. We will take you to a friendly country with friendly people." She also ordered all first-class passengers to move back into coach.

At approximately 6:45 p.m. local time, the aircraft landed at Dawson's Field in Jordan.

Among those onboard was Yitzchak Hutner.

In 2023, American author Martha Hodes, who was twelve years old during the incident and traveling with her thirteen-year-old sister, published her personal narrative of the event. Her memoir is titled My Hijacking.

Passenger Nationalities on Flight 741

Country of Origin	Passengers	Crew	Total Occupants
Template:Country data West Germany	16	2	18
Greece	2	0	2
Template:Country data Israel	55	0	55
India	3	0	3
Italy	1	0	1
Netherlands	1	0	1
United Kingdom	18	0	18
United States	51	9	60
Overall Total	147	11	158

Hijacking of Swissair Flight 100

Template:Infobox aircraft occurrence On September 6, 1970, Swissair Flight 100, a Douglas DC-8-53 with registration HB-IDD and serial number 45656, named Nidwalden and manufactured in 1963, was en route from Zurich Kloten Airport in Switzerland to John F. Kennedy International Airport in the United States. The flight carried 145 passengers alongside a crew of 12. Shortly after takeoff and minutes following the hijacking of a TWA flight, two individuals—one male and one female—commandeered the aircraft over French airspace. One hijacker was armed with a silver revolver. An announcement transmitted via the onboard intercom declared that the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) had seized control and redirected the plane to Dawson's Field. This incident escalated the total number of hostages to 306.

Following the release of all passengers and crew members who were neither Israeli nor Jewish, First Officer Horst Jerosch was retained as a hostage.

Passenger Nationalities on Flight 100

Nationality	Passengers	Crew	Total
France	3	0	3
Template:Country data West Germany	25	0	25
Template:Country data Israel	20	0	20
Switzerland	57	10	67
United States	26	0	26
Other	14	2	16
Total	145	12	157

Pan Am Flight 93

Template:Infobox aircraft occurrence The aircraft known as Pan Am Flight 93, a Boeing 747-121 with registration Template:Airreg and serial number 19656, bore the name Clipper Fortune. It was transporting 152 passengers along with a crew of 17, among whom were two hijackers. Of the passengers, 85 held US citizenship. The journey commenced in Brussels, Belgium, with a scheduled stopover at Amsterdam before continuing to New York. The two hijackers, initially removed from an El Al flight, seized this Pan Am flight opportunistically.

Flight director John Ferruggio recounted the incident:

As we prepared for departure in Amsterdam, the plane suddenly halted midway on the runway. Captain Priddy summoned me to the cockpit and said, "I want to speak with you." Upon entering, he informed me about two passengers named Diop and Gueye. He asked me to verify their details on the passenger list because he intended to talk with them. ... Captain Priddy then seated them nearby and conducted a thorough search. We later discovered they concealed grenades and .25 caliber pistols within Styrofoam containers near their groin area.

The aircraft initially touched down in Beirut to refuel and allowed several affiliates of the hijackers to board, bringing explosives sufficient to destroy the plane entirely. Subsequently, it landed in Cairo, following uncertainty over whether Dawson's Field airport could accommodate a Boeing 747 jumbo jet of that size. John Ferruggio, who directed the evacuation of all aboard, is credited with safeguarding passengers and crew members. The plane was detonated shortly after evacuation in Cairo, marking the inaugural hull loss of a Boeing 747. An audio recording capturing Ferruggio’s instructions during landing was made by a passenger and is featured in a report by National Public Radio. The Egyptian authorities apprehended the hijackers following these events.

Nationalities aboard Flight 93

Country of Origin	Passengers	Crew	Overall Total
Belgium	25	0	25
France	25	0	25
Template:Country data West Germany	10	0	10
Indonesia	2	0	2
Template:Country data Israel	2	0	2
Netherlands	35	3	38
Template:Country data Suriname	2	0	2
United Kingdom	2	0	2
United States	71	14	85
Grand Total	152	17	169

BOAC Flight 775

Template:Infobox aircraft occurrence On September 9th, BOAC Flight 775, operated by a Vickers VC10 bearing registration Template:Airreg, was hijacked after departing from Bahrain during its journey from Bombay (currently Mumbai) to London with scheduled stops in Bahrain and Beirut. The hijacking was executed by an individual aligned with the PFLP aiming to pressure the British authorities into releasing Leila Khaled.

Archived footage showing the aircraft's departure from Beirut en route to Dawson's Field is preserved in the Pathe News collection.

Passenger Nationalities on Flight 775

Country	Passengers	Crew	Combined Total
Template:Country data Albania	5	0	5
Denmark	15	0	15
France	25	0	25
Template:Country data West Germany	5	0	5
India	4	0	4
United Kingdom	25	9	34
United States	21	0	21
Total	105	9	114

Hostage testimonies

File:Dawson field aircrafts blown up, Jordan, 12 September 1970.png

The destruction of aircraft at Dawson's Field on 12 September 1970

Several unnamed passengers later shared their experiences as captives.

Anonymous participant 1: "I was confined near the front of the aircraft by the hijackers. They doubted my claim of being American since my passport showed a recent visit to Israel two weeks prior. They suspected I had ties to the Israeli military and held me at gunpoint near the plane's entrance."

Anonymous participant 2: "We were informed that the hijacking was headed for Beirut, which was our initial destination, and everyone was instructed to stay calm and comply fully."

Anonymous participant 3: "After landing, we disembarked, and the captain was told we had three minutes to evacuate. However, I believed there were still some passengers aboard when they detonated explosives that destroyed the front section of the plane. They had placed dynamite at both ends of the aircraft, reportedly about 20 kilograms of plastic explosives brought from Beirut."

Time spent in the desert

File:Jordanian army chief of staff checks on freed Dawson's field aircrafts hostages, 25 September 1970.png

Jordanian Army chief of staff Zaid ibn Shaker inspecting liberated hostages on 25 September 1970.

On 7 September 1970, the hijackers organized a press briefing for approximately 60 journalists who had arrived at what was dubbed "Revolution Airport." Around 125 hostages were moved to Amman, while citizens from the United States, Israel, Switzerland, and West Germany remained aboard the planes. Jewish passengers were also detained; Rivke Berkowitz from New York recalled in a 2006 interview that hijackers questioned individuals about their faith, and upon her identifying as Jewish, she was singled out. Another Jewish captive, Barbara Mensch—aged sixteen and related to notable figures Peter Mensch and former UK MP Louise Mensch—was labeled a "political prisoner."

As groups of remaining passengers and crew gathered on the sand in front of reporters, members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), including Bassam Abu Sharif, addressed the media. Sharif stated that the hijackings aimed "to secure the release of all political detainees held in Israel in exchange for the hostages."

In response, on 8 September, U.S. President Richard Nixon convened with his advisors and directed Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird to carry out airstrikes against PFLP positions within Jordan. Laird declined—citing adverse weather conditions—and consequently, this plan was abandoned. The 82nd Airborne Division was placed on alert status, naval forces including the Sixth Fleet deployed at sea, and military aircraft were positioned in Turkey as preparations for potential intervention.

File:Nixon 30-0316a.jpg

President Richard Nixon advocated for a direct military approach to counter the hijackings.

Conversely, British Prime Minister Edward Heath opted for negotiation with the hijackers and ultimately consented to releasing Khaled and others in return for hostage freedom—a decision met with strong opposition from Washington:

Discord between London and Washington surfaced during a tense telephone exchange between senior Foreign Office official Sir Denis Greenhill and White House aide Joseph Sisco. Greenhill warned about domestic backlash over military action while expressing concern that Israel would remain inactive as British nationals suffered harm. He emphasized public perception might condemn perceived inaction.

On 9 September, the United Nations Security Council passed Resolution 286 demanding immediate release of all hostages. The next day saw clashes erupt between PFLP militants and Jordanian forces at Amman's Intercontinental Hotel—the site where approximately 125 women and children were held—pushing Jordan toward civil war. The demolition of aircraft on 12 September underscored Jordanian government's lack of control over Palestinian-held zones; Palestinians proclaimed Irbid as "liberated territory," openly challenging King Hussein’s authority.

On 13 September, the BBC World Service aired an official announcement in Arabic confirming that Britain would release Khaled in exchange for hostages.

According to Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, this period marked a turning point as King Hussein either gained confidence from U.S. readiness measures or reached desperation levels prompting him to confront fedayeen forces decisively.

Further complicating matters was Syria and Iraq’s Soviet-backed threats to intervene militarily on behalf of Palestinian factions against Jordan. Declassified British records reveal that an anxious King Hussein requested Britain and America to urge Israel to bomb Syrian units if they crossed into Jordanian territory. When Syrian tanks advanced across the border, Israeli jets conducted warning overflights in response.

Resolution and consequences

On 16 September, King Hussein imposed martial law and launched military operations that later became known as the Black September conflict. Hostage David Raab recounted the Jordanian Army's assault:

During the bombardment, we found ourselves amid the fighting since Ashrafiyeh, a neighborhood in Amman, was a key target for the Jordanian forces. The power was cut, and our supplies of food and water were scarce once more. On Friday afternoon, the distinctive clatter of tank treads on the street reached us. We were swiftly gathered into a single room while the guerrillas flung open doors to make it seem as though the building was deserted, hoping to avoid incoming fire. Then suddenly, the shelling ceased.

Approximately two weeks into the crisis, authorities recovered the remaining hostages from various sites around Amman. They were exchanged for Leila Khaled along with several other PFLP detainees. The freed captives were flown first to Cyprus and subsequently to Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci Airport, where on 28 September they met with President Nixon during his State visit to Italy and the Vatican. Addressing the press that day, Nixon remarked that he had told the freed prisoners:

... due to their ordeal... there is now a significantly greater chance of reducing hijackings in the future because these events have provoked global condemnation. We have not only increased security personnel on flights but are also developing measures ... aimed at preventing potential hijackers from boarding aircraft with weapons or explosives.

During the crisis on 11 September, President Nixon set in motion a plan targeting "air piracy," which included deploying 100 federal agents immediately to serve as armed sky marshals aboard U.S. flights. His announcement also revealed that the U.S. Departments of Defense and Transportation would evaluate whether existing military-grade X-ray technology could be adapted for civilian airport security use.

Although several years later the PFLP formally renounced airline hijackings as a tactic, numerous members and affiliated factions persisted in hijacking planes and engaging in other violent acts.

Documentary film

In 2006, Ilan Ziv produced and directed Hijacked, a one-hour installment of the PBS series American Experience, which premiered on 26 February 2006. This documentary explored the Dawson's Field hijackings through archival materials and featured interviews with the hijackers, hostages, journalists, and political figures involved.

Further reading

• Arey, James A. The Sky Pirates. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1972.
• Carlton, David. The West's Road to 9/11: Resisting, Appeasing and Encouraging Terrorism since 1970. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2006. ISBN 1-4039-9608-3. Discusses how Western responses to the Dawson's Field hijackings marked the beginning of contemporary terrorism.
• Phillips, David. Skyjack: The Story of Air Piracy. London: George G. Harrap, 1973.
• Moss, Miriam. Girl on a Plane. London: Andersen Press, 2015. A fictionalized narrative by Moss, who was a 15-year-old passenger aboard BOAC Flight 775 departing Bahrain.
• Raab, David. Terror in Black September: The First Eyewitness Account of the Infamous 1970 Hijackings. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2007. ISBN 1-4039-8420-4.
• Snow, Peter, and David Phillips. The Arab Hijack War: The True Story of 25 Days in September 1970. New York: Ballantine Books, 1971.

External links

• Official site for Hijacked, Ilan Ziv's one-hour episode from PBS's American Experience, first broadcast on 26 February 2006
• Template:IMDb title
• BBC report on secret files related to this event released after three decades
• Interview with Leila Khaled on Aviation Security (Archived version)
• Terror in Black September website
• Bassam Abu Sharif’s site featuring images of the hijacked aircraft (Archive)
• Time magazine cover from 21 September 1970 titled "Pirates in the Sky"
• BBC footage from Amman in September 1970 [1]Template:Fix/category
• Audio recollections by Walter Cronkite, featured on NPR’s All Things Considered
• Article detailing exclusive footage captured by UPITN cameraman Hassan Dalal of the aircraft destruction
• Unedited archival film from Pathe News