Terror in the skies: The midair hijacking drama of TAA Flight 408 (historical - 1960)

news.com.au ^ | 1st September 2015

[naturalman1975]

ALEX Hildebrandt looked like any other passenger when he walked calmly onto the Trans-Australia Airlines passenger jet bound for Brisbane.

It was the last flight out of Sydney and the Russian immigrant, along with his 42 fellow passengers, had just passed through airport security that is nothing like we know today.

Which could go some way to explaining why Hildebrandt, then 22, had managed to pack a sawn-off shotgun in his carry-on luggage, as well as all the tools needed to make a bomb.

By the time the plane touched down in Brisbane that night, July 19, 1960, Australia — and the world — had suffered one of its earliest midair hijackings.

A Cathay Pacific flight that crashed into the sea off Macau was the first recorded commercial aircraft to be hijacked in 1948.

But it’s fair to say the threat of terror was not on the minds of travellers in 1960, especially involving a domestic Australian flight.

[naturalman1975]

Historical, but I thought there would be people here who are interested.

This was before the advice that people should not fight back had emerged - advice that was exploited with terrible consequences.

First Officer Tom Bennett was awarded the George Medal for his actions - at the time the second highest award for bravery outside of combat that Australia could award.