I think the era of airplane hijackings is probably behind us, not because of airport security, but because pilots, flight crews and, above all, passengers will no longer comply with the old ritual of going along with the hijacker--the protocol that was still in place on September 11.

An Air Mauritania pilot and his passengers and crew took care of a would-be hijacker:

A cunning pilot thwarted a hijacking by discreetly warning the passengers in French — a language the gunman didn't speak — that he would knock the attacker off-balance with a rough landing, and that they should be ready to pounce.

The plan worked.

As Capt. Ahmedou Mohamed Lemine landed the Air Mauritania Boeing 737, he slammed on the brakes, then abruptly accelerated, throwing the hijacker to the floor, officials said Friday. The forewarned passengers and crew threw boiling water from a coffee maker on the man's face and chest, then beat him into submission.

This kind of thing will deter hijackers. "A pack, not a herd," as Glenn Reynolds says.

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Posted by John at 06:49 PM  |    |