Lufthansa Flight 181
Frankfurt International Airport | |
Occupants | 95 |
---|---|
Passengers | 86 plus 4 hijackers |
Crew | 5 |
Fatalities | 4 (1 crew, 3 hijackers) |
Injuries | 5 (1 flight attendant, 3 passengers, 1 hijacker) |
Survivors | 91 (All passengers, 4 crew, 1 hijacker) |
Lufthansa Flight 181 was a
Lufthansa crew
Two flight crew and three cabin crew operated the round-trip flight from Frankfurt to Palma de Mallorca:[3]
- Jürgen Schumann (37)
- Captain. Born in German Federal Cross of Merit 1st class, he was survived by his wife and two sons. The building housing the Lufthansa Pilot School in Bremen was named in his honour, as was a street in the Bavarian city of Landshut. He is buried in Babenhausen in Hesse.
- Jürgen Vietor (35)
- Co-Pilot. Born in German Federal Cross of Merit 1st Class. He subsequently returned the medal in December 2008 in protest over the release on probation of the former Red Army Faction terrorist Christian Klar, who had been involved in the kidnap and murder of Hanns Martin Schleyer in 1977.[citation needed]
- Hannelore Piegler (33)
- Chief flight attendant. She was in charge of the cabin crew, servicing the first class passengers. Subsequently she published a book on the hijacking entitled 'A Hundred Hours Between Fear and Hope'.[4]
- Anna-Maria Staringer (28)
- Flight attendant. She had her 28th birthday on the flight. Akache ordered a birthday cake and champagne via the radio in Dubai. The airport catering supplied a cake with 28 candles embellished with "Happy Birthday Anna-Maria".[5]
- Gabriele Dillmann (23)
- Flight attendant. She was a pillar of support and hope for the other hostages, and was dubbed "the angel of Mogadishu" (Engel von Mogadischu) by the German press. Like Schumann and Vietor she was awarded the beechwood), and has shown her work in numerous exhibitions in Germany and throughout Europe.
Key West German rescue personnel
- Colonel Ulrich Wegener (48)[6]
- Federal Border Protection ( to rescue the Landshut hostages at Mogadishu. After his retirement from GSG 9, Wegener worked as a consultant to help establish counter-terrorism units in various foreign countries. He also served on the security advisory council of KÖTTER GmbH & Co. KG Verwaltungsdienstleistungen, a major German provider of security and facility management services. He died on 28 December 2017.
- Major Klaus Blatte (38)
- Deputy Commander of GSG 9 in 1977 and one of the four assault squad leaders that stormed the Landshut at Mogadishu. When Wegener retired, Blatte succeeded him as commander of GSG 9.
- Minister Hans-Jürgen Wischnewski (55)
- Minister of State at the Federal Chancellery who was designated by Chancellor Helmut Schmidt as his special envoy to coordinate the political negotiations with the various foreign governments to facilitate the release or rescue of the Landshut hostages. Due to his excellent contacts and personal relationships with Arab leaders, he was nicknamed "Ben Wisch" by the German press. When Helmut Schmidt was succeeded by Helmut Kohl, Wischnewski became a travelling consultant to Arab, African, and South American countries, advising them on negotiating techniques and pacification policies to deal with terrorist and insurgent groups. He died in 2005.
- Chancellor Helmut Schmidt (59)
- German Federal Chancellor (Bundeskanzler ) between 1974 and 1982 who adopted a tough, uncompromising stance on the Hanns Martin Schleyer kidnapping and Lufthansa 181 hijacking in 1977. He authorised the GSG 9 mission to rescue the Landshut hostages and his anti-terrorist policies were successful in overcoming the long-standing threat posed by the Red Army Faction. After retiring from the Bundestag in 1986, he helped found the committee supporting the EMU and creation of the European Central Bank. He died in 2015.
Hijacking
At 11:00 on Thursday 13 October 1977,
Rome
The hijacked aircraft changed course at around 14:30 (as noticed by air traffic controllers at
Larnaca
The Landshut landed in
Bahrain
Schumann was told by a passing Qantas airliner that Bahrain Airport was also closed to them. Schumann radioed flight control and told them that they had insufficient fuel to fly elsewhere and despite being told again that the airport was closed, he was suddenly given an automatic landing frequency by the flight controller. The plane finally touched down in Bahrain at 01:52 on 14 October. On arrival, the aircraft was immediately surrounded by armed troops and Mahmud radioed the tower that unless the soldiers were withdrawn, he would shoot the co-pilot. After a stand-off with the tower, with Mahmud setting a five‑minute deadline and holding a loaded pistol to Vietor's head, the troops were withdrawn. The aircraft was then refuelled and took off for Dubai at 03:24.[8]
Dubai
Approaching Dubai, the 737 was again denied landing permission. Overflying the Dubai airport in the early light of dawn, the hijackers and pilots saw the runway blocked with military jeeps, trucks and fire engines. Running short of fuel, Schumann radioed the tower to announce that they were going to land anyway. As they made a low pass over the airport, the vehicles were finally being removed. At 05:40 local time, the pilots made a smooth touchdown on the airport's main runway at sunrise. The plane was parked at the parking bay around 05:51, at daybreak.[8]
In Dubai, the terrorists instructed the control tower to send airport crew staffers to empty the toilet tanks, supply food, water, medicine, newspapers, and take away the rubbish. Captain Schumann was able to communicate the number of hijackers on board, specifying that there were two male and two female hijackers by dropping different types of cigarettes on the tarmac from out of the cockpit window.[9] In an interview with journalists, this information was revealed by Dubai's Sheikh Mohammed, then Minister of Defence.[10] The hijackers learned about this, possibly from the radio, causing an enraged Mahmud to angrily threaten Schumann's life for secretly sharing this coded message. The aircraft remained parked on the tarmac stationed at Dubai airport all throughout Saturday 15 October, during which the jetliner experienced technical snags with the electrical generator, air conditioning and auxiliary power unit breaking down. The hijackers demanded that engineers fix the plane. On the morning of Sunday 16 October, Mahmud threatened to start shooting hostages if the aircraft was not refuelled, and Dubai authorities eventually agreed to refuel the plane.[8]
In the meantime, both
Aden
Approaching and overflying Aden, the flight was yet again denied permission to land, this time at Aden International Airport, and both main runways (including the apron) were blocked by military jeeps, tanks and other vehicles. The plane was running dangerously low on fuel, but the Aden airport authorities adamantly refused to clear the runways, leaving co-pilot Vietor little choice but to make an emergency landing on an unpaved sand strip roughly parallel to (in-between) both runways. The plane remained largely intact following the ground roll but when the Aden authorities told the hijackers and pilots that they needed to fly away, both pilots were concerned about the aircraft's airworthiness after its rough, hard landing on rugged, rocky and sandy terrain, deeming it unsafe to take off and fly the jetliner again until a thorough engineering inspection had been made. After the engineers claimed that everything was all right with the airframe, Mahmud consequently allowed Schumann to check the condition of the landing gear and the engines. Both engines had ingested a copious amount of sand and dirt at maximum reverse thrust and were clogged up. The landing gear had not collapsed, but its structure was weakened and its extension/retraction mechanism was damaged. Schumann did not immediately return to the plane after inspecting it, even after numerous calls by the hijackers threatening to detonate the aircraft because of his departure. The reasons for his prolonged absence remained unclear for a long time. Only in 2008, as part of a television documentary, was it possible to track down the man who had met Schumann at the airport in Aden: Sheikh Ahmed Mansur, commander of a Yemeni special unit. Mansur testified that the captain, concerned for the lives of his passengers, had demanded that the possibly damaged aircraft be prevented from continuing to fly.[11][12]
Schumann subsequently boarded the plane to face the wrath of Mahmud, who furiously forced him to kneel on the passenger cabin floor before fatally shooting him in the head, without giving him a chance to explain himself.[11][12] The hijacked plane was refuelled at 01:00 on 17 October and at 02:02, flown by co-pilot Vietor, it dangerously and sluggishly took off from Aden on course for the Somali capital of Mogadishu.[8]
Mogadishu
On the morning of 17 October at daybreak, around 06:34 local time, the Landshut made an unannounced and textbook landing on the main runway at
Operation Feuerzauber
Operation Feuerzauber (Magic Fire)[2] | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||
Belligerents | |||||||
Somali Army (lead) | PFLP | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Ulrich Wegener Alastair Morrison Siad Barre Hussein Kulmiye Afrah | Zohair Youssef Akache † | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
30 GSG 9 operators 2 SAS operators | 4 hijackers | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
1 wounded |
3 killed 1 wounded/captured | ||||||
4 civilians wounded |
Meanwhile, while West German
After four hours, unloading all of their equipment and undertaking the necessary reconnaissance, Wegener and Blatte finalised the assault plan, scheduled to begin at 02:00 local time. They decided to approach from the rear of the aircraft, its
As a small force, the GSG-9 relied on their Somali counterparts to maintain ground defence around the aircraft as well as deception operations.[14][15] Several minutes before the rescue, Somali soldiers set off an explosion 60 metres (200 ft) in front of the jet as a diversionary tactic, prompting Akache and two of the other three hijackers to rush to the cockpit to observe what was going on, isolating them from the hostages in the cabin.[16] At 02:07 local time, the GSG 9 men silently climbed up their ladders and opened the emergency doors using explosive charges. Wegener, at the head of one group, opened the forward door, and two other groups, led by Sergeant-Major Dieter Fox and Sergeant Joachim Huemmer, stormed the aircraft using ladders to climb up onto the wings and open both overwing emergency doors at the same time. Shouting in German for the passengers and crew to get on the floor, the men shot all four terrorists, killing Wabil Harb and Hind Alameh and wounding Zohair Akache and Suhaila Sayeh. Akache died of his injuries hours later. One GSG 9 member was wounded by return fire from the terrorists. Three passengers and a flight attendant were slightly wounded in the crossfire. An American passenger aboard the plane described the rescue: "I saw the door open and a man appears. His face was painted black and he starts shouting in German 'We're here to rescue you, get down!' [Wir sind hier, um euch zu retten, runter!] and they started shooting."[17]
The emergency escape chutes were deployed, and passengers and crew were ordered to quickly evacuate the aircraft. At 02:12 local time, just five minutes after the assault had commenced, the border guard commandos radioed: "Frühlingszeit! Frühlingszeit!" ("Springtime! Springtime!"), which was the code word for the successful completion of the operation. A few moments later, a radio signal was sent to Chancellor Schmidt in Bonn: "Four opponents down – hostages free – four hostages slightly wounded – one border guard commando slightly wounded".[8]
The rescuers escorted all 86 passengers to safety,
Aftermath
News of the rescue of the hostages was followed by the deaths (and alleged suicides) of RAF (Red Army Faction) members
After the Landshut crisis, the German government stated it would never again negotiate with terrorists (as it previously had with Lufthansa Flight 649 and 615 hijackers). Chancellor Helmut Schmidt was widely praised among western countries for his decision to storm the aircraft to rescue the hostages, although some criticized the risky action.[8]
West German-Somali relations received a significant boost after the successful operation. Lufthansa henceforth serviced all Somali Airlines planes in West Germany, while Frankfurt became Somali Airlines' new gateway to Europe. The West German government, as a sign of gratitude, issued two multi-million dollar loans to the Somali government to assist in the development of the country's fisheries, agriculture and other sectors.[20]
The aircraft
Originally built in January 1970, the Landshut is a Boeing 737-230C (manufacturer's serial number 20254, Boeing line number 230, registration D-ABCE) with two Pratt & Whitney JT8D-9A engines, named after the city of Landshut in Bavaria. While under control of the hijackers, the plane had traveled 10,000 kilometres (6,200 mi).[18] The damaged aircraft was ferried back to Germany, repaired, and returned to service in late November 1977. It continued to fly for Lufthansa until September 1985, and was sold three months later to US carrier Presidential Airways. It subsequently changed hands several times.[21]
Purchase
The plane ultimately ended up in the fleet of Brazilian carrier
Storage
The disassembled plane has since been stored in a hangar at Airplus maintenance GmbH in Friedrichshafen. The plan to restore and display it in its original 1977 Lufthansa livery was never carried out.
Studies
The federal government looked into whether the aircraft could be exhibited in the
Museum
€15 million was made available from the German federal government, in the following allotments:
- €7.5 million:
- €2.5 million: aircraft maintenance and restoration
- €2.5 million: hangar construction
- €1.5 million: provision of technical equipment
- €1.0 million: implementation of teaching concept
- €7.5 million: operating subsidy for the 10-year period, tied to the requirement to limit museum entrance fees to 5 euros per person[38][39][40]
Location
The money is linked to the Friedrichshafen location, but not to others. However the Culture Ministry had objections and postponed a final decision, to Headquarters of the Federal Police Directorate in Sankt Augustin-Hangelar in North Rhine-Westphalia with the headquarters of the GSG9 special force.[41][42]
Decisions
In April 2021, the German government announced that the aircraft would not be restored to original condition as its historic integrity had been compromised and that it could be disassembled to be displayed in multiple locations.[43] A location for the museum at the Friedrichshafen Airport was announced in May 2023.[44]
Transfer
The Rest of Aircraft goes inside a transformed "Halle Q" of Friedrichshafen Airport in July 2024.[45]
Use of the name Landshut in other airplanes
The name Landshut has been used by Lufthansa on three other planes since 1985:
- Boeing 737-200 D-ABHM (1985-1996)
- Airbus A319-100D-AILK (1997-2001)
- Airbus A330-300 D-AIKE (2007-2021)[46]
Notable hostages
- 1971 Bundesliga scandal was one of the hostages on board, along with his daughter.[47]
In popular culture
The song "122 Hours of Fear" by The Screamers, recorded in 1978, was inspired by the hijacking.
The song "RAF" by
The hijacking and the hostage rescue operation were portrayed in two German television films: Death Game in 1997[48] and Mogadischu, directed by Roland Suso Richter, in 2008.[49]
The hijacking and rescue were also portrayed in the Black Ops television series, season 2 episode 76, titled "Operation Fire Magic".[50]
The 2015 video game Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege used Lufthansa Flight 181, along with other historical hostage extraction operations, as inspiration for the game and as research for making the game more accurate.[51]
The hijacking and rescue were also a subplot device in the 2018 film Suspiria.
See also
- Operation Entebbe
- List of hostage crises
- Air France Flight 8969
References
- ^ Global Counterstrike: International Counterterrorism - Page 22 Samuel M. Katz · 2005
- ^ a b c Carolla, Mark (2007). Executive Summary "Operation Magic Fire" (Report). Washington D.C.: GW Aviation Institute. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
- ^ Die Geiseln von Mogadischu Reportage Dokumentation, archived from the original on 21 December 2021, retrieved 21 June 2021
- ISSN 0173-8437. Archived from the originalon 14 October 2017. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
- ISSN 0039-1239. Archived from the originalon 8 March 2016. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
- ^ Mythos GSG 9, archived from the original on 21 December 2021, retrieved 21 June 2021
- ISBN 0-275-97468-5.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Treuter, Martina; Rupps, Martin (10 October 2017). Ebenau, Jürgen; Schelberg, Stefanie; Gniffke, Kai (eds.). "Die Geiseln von Mogadischu: Das leben nach der "landshut"-entführung" [The hostages of Mogadishu: Life after the "landshut" kidnapping]. SWR Fernsehen (in German). Südwestrundfunk (ARD). Archived from the original on 8 March 2021. Retrieved 27 July 2017.
- ^ Schumann: "Could you get us four cartons with cigarettes?" – Tower: "Ok, any type?" – Schumann: "Mixed. Different ones. Two of these and two of these maybe." – Tower: "Roger, ok. Mixed." original radio communication from documentary "Mogadischu. Die Dokumentation.", Youtube, (2:55–3:09)
- ^ "Neue Dokumente zur Landshut-Entführung". Der Spiegel. Retrieved 18 November 2008.
- ^ a b onlineFocus from 08-25-2007. Retrieved 12 January 2008.
- ^ a b Michael Hanfeld: Der wahre Held der „Landshut“, faz-net, 1. Dezember 2007. Retrieved 12 January 2008.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
- ^ Terrorism: Inside a World Phenomenon page 188
- ^ Hostage: The History, Facts & Reasoning Behind Hostage Taking by John Charles Griffiths
- ^ Middle Eastern terrorism: from Black September to 11 September, by Mark Ensalaco, pg 116
- ^ "News, Photos, Audio | Archives - UPI.com". UPI. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
- ^ a b "News, Photos, Audio | Archives - UPI.com". UPI. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
- ^ "Oktober 1977: Mogadischu". Archived from the original on 8 November 2006. Retrieved 10 June 2006.
- ^ Historical Dictionary of Somalia By Mohamed Haji Mukhtar page 139
- ^ "Companies' owners: TAN F-GFVJ 28.09.1988, ICS - Intercargo Services F-GFVJ 01.04.1990, ICS - InterCiel Services F-GFVJ 23.11.1990, L'Aeropostale 9M-PMQ 24.02.1995, TransMile 9M-PMQ 04.04.1997, Garuda 9M-PMQ 24.05.1997, TransMile".
- ^ OPovo. "Sequestro Lufthansa. De volta para Alemanha" (in Portuguese). Retrieved 17 June 2017.
- ^ "Sequestro Lufthansa. De volta para Alemanha" (in Portuguese). OPovo. 17 June 2017. Retrieved 24 September 2017.
- ^ "Hijacked 'Landshut' plane returning to Germany". dw.com. Deutsche Welle. AP, DPA. 27 July 2017. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
The aircraft had been parked at Fortaleza airport in Brazil gathering dust since 2008.
- ^ "Lufthansa Technik returns 'Landshut' to Germany". Press Releases. Lufthansa Technik. 22 September 2017. Archived from the original on 13 June 2018. Retrieved 24 September 2017.
The project team was frequently accompanied by the media and also welcomed high-ranking visitors from the diplomatic and consular corps.
- ^ Südwest Presse Online-Dienste. "Die 1977 entführte "Landshut" kommt an den Bodensee". swp.de (in German). Archived from the original on 29 July 2017. Retrieved 27 July 2017.
- ^ "O Projeto Landshut ainda não acabou, nosso pessoal continua no Aeroporto Pinto Martins dando continuidade aos processos legais para envio de dois containers com todos o maquinário e ferramentas utilizadas pela Lufthansa Technik e algumas pequenas partes do Landshut" (in Portuguese). OPovo. 23 September 2017. Retrieved 24 September 2017.
- ^ Zeller, Frank (23 September 2017). "Last flight home for icon of 'German Autumn' of terror". France 24. AFP. Archived from the original on 24 September 2017. Retrieved 24 September 2017.
- Spiegel Online(in German). AFP, AP. 23 September 2017. Retrieved 24 September 2017.
- ^ Ismar, Georg; Monath, Hans (13 February 2020). "Die "Landshut" soll in Tempelhof landen". Der Tagesspiegel Online (in German). Retrieved 4 July 2020.
- ^ "Friedrichshafen: "Spiegel": Appell an Bundesregierung wegen Erinnerungsort "Landshut"". Südkurier (in German). 10 January 2020. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
- ^ Zeitung, Saarbrücker (6 February 2020). "Die "Landshut" in Friedrichshafen: Das Symbol im Kampf gegen den RAF-Terror rottet vor sich hin". Saarbrücker Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 4 July 2020.
- ^ Monath, Hans; Ismar, Georg (14 April 2019). "Der Streit um die "Landshut" findet kein Ende". Der Tagesspiegel Online (in German). Retrieved 4 July 2020.
- ^ "Halle für "Landshut"-Lernort angemietet — Eröffnung 2026". Schwäbischer Verlag 2023 (in German). 14 September 2023.
- ^ Hennings, Martin (9 September 2020). "David Dornier verlässt das Dornier-Museum" [David Dornier leaves the Dornier Museum]. Schwäbische (in German). Retrieved 22 January 2024.
- ^ "CSU will Entführungsflugzeug "Landshut" nach München holen" [CSU wants to bring the “Landshut” hijacking plane to Munich]. Schwäbische (in German). 18 September 2020. Archived from the original on 30 October 2020. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
- ^ Hennings, Martin (19 September 2020). "Neuer Direktor des Dornier-Museums: Das Kapitel "Landshut" ist "für uns beendet"" [New director of the Dornier Museum: The “Landshut” chapter is “over for us”]. Schwäbische (in German). Retrieved 22 January 2024.
- ^ Hennings, Martin (27 November 2020). "15 Millionen für Museum: Jetzt landet die "Landshut" doch in Friedrichshafen" [15 million for the museum: Now the “Landshut” is landing in Friedrichshafen]. Schwäbische (in German). Retrieved 22 January 2024.
- ^ Pauly, Andrea (27 November 2020). "Stadt erhält ein "Landshut"-Museum für 15 Millionen Euro" [City receives a “Landshut” museum for 15 million euros]. Schwäbische (in German). Retrieved 22 January 2024.
- ^ Valduga, Fernando (27 November 2020). "Histórico 737 'Landshut" que estava abandonado no Brasil finalmente vai ser exposto em museu na Alemanha" [Historic 737 'Landshut” that was abandoned in Brazil will finally be exhibited in a museum in Germany]. Cavok (in Portuguese). Retrieved 22 January 2024.
- ^ Peking, Florian (12 January 2020). "Kulturstaatsministerin gegen "Landshut"-Museum in Friedrichshafen" [Minister of State for Culture against the “Landshut” Museum in Friedrichshafe]. Schwäbische (in German). Retrieved 22 January 2024.
- ^ "Bund prüft GSG9-Zentrale als Standort für "Landshut"" [Federal government examines GSG9 headquarters as a location for “Landshut”]. Schwäbische (in German). 1 December 2020. Archived from the original on 19 January 2021. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
- ^ Hennings, Martin (26 April 2021). "Bundesregierung: Die "Landshut" wird nicht restauriert" [Federal Government: The “Landshut” will not be restored]. Schwäbische (in German). Retrieved 22 January 2024.
- ^ Hennings, Martin (26 May 2023). "Ende einer Odyssee: "Landshut" soll am Flughafen Friedrichshafen bleiben" [End of an odyssey: “Landshut” should stay at Friedrichshafen Airport]. Schwäbische (in German). Retrieved 22 January 2024.
- ^ "Im Sommer 2024 zieht die „Landshut" um". Schwäbische (in German). 10 March 2024.
- ^ "Charliebravo.de - Lufthansa Flotte mit Taufnamen". Archived from the original on 19 August 2006. Retrieved 27 September 2017.
- ^ "Bundesliga: Zentralfigur des Bundesliga-Skandals ist tot" [Bundesliga: Central figure of the Bundesliga scandal has died]. spiegel.de (in German). Der Spiegel. 23 July 1999. Retrieved 2 July 2016.
- IMDb
- IMDb
- IMDb
- ^ Campbell, Colin (21 October 2014). "How Rainbow Six: Siege takes inspiration from real life hostage rescues". Polygon. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
Further reading
- McNab, Chris. Storming Flight 181 – GSG 9 and the Mogadishu Hijack 1977 Osprey Raid Series No. 19; Osprey Publishing, 2011. ISBN 978-1-84908-376-8.
- Davies, Barry. Fire Magic – Hijack at Mogadishu Bloomsbury Publishing, 1994. ISBN 978-0-7475-1921-8.
- Blumenau, Bernhard. The United Nations and Terrorism. Germany, Multilateralism, and Antiterrorism Efforts in the 1970s Palgrave Macmillan, 2014, ch. 2. ISBN 978-1-137-39196-4.
External links
- Mogadischu at the Internet Movie Database
- Documentary about the GSG9 Archived 2 August 2016 at the Wayback Machine
- Wiegrefe, Klaus (29 September 2008). "Log of the 'Landshut' Hijacking". Der Spiegel (in German).
- Unabhängiger Unterstützerkreis für Einen Lernort der Deutschen Demokratie in Friedrichshafen