Aircraft

[Gravdigr]

On this day in 1994 FedEx employee Auburn Calloway attempts suicide by trying to destroy Federal Express Flight 705 so his family could benefit from a FedEx life insurance policy.

He attacked the flight crew in the cockpit with claw hammers and a knife.

The DC-10 pilot attempted to help the crew fighting Calloway by throwing the aircraft around violently, at one point almost rolling the plane upside down. He pitched the plane into a 15 degree climb then nose-dived trying to put the attacker off his feet. The pilot bounced everyone around the cockpit pretty badly.

During the nose-dive the plane passed 530mph when the elevators became unusable, fluttering in the wild air-flow.

They eventually landed back in Memphis, at 35,000lbs over the maximum designed landing weight, after pushing the airplane well past its safety limits multiple times, and after requesting 'armed intervention' (meaning SWAT).

It must have a helluva scene. The cockpit and galley were covered in blood, a skull was fractured resulting in motor control difficulties for that crew member, a jaw was dislocated, one crew member stabbed in the arm, the pilot had several deep gashes in his head and had to have his ear sewn back in place.

Auburn Calloway was armed with 2 claw hammers, 2 sledge hammers, a knife and a spear gun.

Ten years after the attack none of the flight crew could be medically cleared to fly commercially due to their injuries.

The DC-10 suffered $800,000 in damage.

The Wikipedia article is a really good read.