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      I was free at last to accept any trip – anywhere!  On the other hand - despite my joy and pride at conquering this mountain of training – there was one huge fly in the ointment.  No matter how hard I tried to ignore it – the fly stubbornly held its position – nagging at my subconscious.  The trend was clear: SAUDIA deliberately refused to disseminate any information to pilots as regards incidents, accidents or hijackings involving their aircraft.  Unlike other major airlines that freely circulates reports on these events, in order to educate their pilots.  

     Ultimately, during my six-year tenure with SAUDIA, not once did the company issue any such reports.  Only after leaving SAUDIA, did I consequently get access to such reports from foreign outside sources.  In doing so, I was surprised to learn that between I984 to 1985, SAUDIA’s aircraft had been hijacked four times!

     The first occurred on 5th April, 1984, when a Syrian national hijacked a SAUDIA L-1011 TriStar with a “bomb in his pocket” – diverting it to Istanbul.  Upon landing, the captain got fed up with the hijacker and threw him out an emergency exit.  Turkish authorities snatched him up.

     The second took place on 5^th November, 1984, as two armed hijackers diverted a SAUDIA L-1011 TriStar to Tehran.  Upon landing they were tackled by the passengers and turned over to Iranian authorities.  Iran gave the hijackers political asylum.

     The third happened on 17^th March, 1985, by a lone male with a grenade who hijacked a SAUDIA B-737.  He wanted to divert to Kuwait, except the crew convinced him they needed to refuel at Dhahran first.  After landing, the crew convinced the hijacker to release the passengers, which he did.  Saudi Security then stormed the hijacker – who threw his grenade and was shot dead.  The grenade wet off, but did little damage.

     Finally the fourth transpired on 27^th December, 1985, when a SAUDIA B-747 was operating a leg from Karachi to Riyadh.  Approximately one hour before landing, a deranged man attempted to hijack the aircraft with a straight razor.  Nevertheless, there was a security agent among the 213 passengers and crew, who tackled the nut-case; subduing him for the authorities.

     And here’s the real kicker, dear reader.  I was kept so pig-ignorant by SAUDIA - I was never even informed we carried “security agents.”  In all those thousands of hours in the air, I hadn’t a clue they were on board!

     Which brings us to an episode - I’m certain you’ve never heard of or read about – that I stumbled upon from a stewardess who was actually aboard this flight.

     Forgive me for being hazy on the dates and names, dear reader.  Since nothing official has ever been written concerning this event - it’s hampered my research.

     As near as I can recall, this happened not too long after my line check-ride in 1983.  One night a SAUDIA B-747SP launched from Runway Three Four Right (340°/160° magnetic, NW/SE) at the new King Abdulaziz International Airport (inaugurated in April 1981) at Jeddah.  Destination: nonstop to New York’s JFK.

     The new Jeddah International Airport.

      The B-747SP.

 

     The fat Disney-toy SP was fully loaded with 230 passengers and a crew of 19.  An Australian Captain was in command by the name of Allan Franke (I’m positive of the nationality – not sure of the name).  Because all fuel tanks were topped-off for this 13-hour flight, the SP was close to max takeoff weight, so the tower gave them the longest runway, at over 13,100 feet, for takeoff.

     They made a flaps 20 takeoff, got the landing gear and flaps retracted, and, upon achieving climb speed, prompted the captain to call for, “Climb Power.”  Which, using his set of four throttles behind the main throttles, the flight engineer reduced power to (I don’t remember his name or nationality).

     The B-747 cockpit: Note the Flight Engineer’s position.

     The B-747 Flight Engineer’s panel.

     The B-747 Flight Engineer’s throttles.

     All seemed to be going smoothly until passing 3,000 feet, when the flight engineer announced that he had a higher than normal vibration on engine number Two.  Capt. Allen looked over his right shoulder at the AVM (Airborne Vibration Monitor) on the flight engineer’s panel – and saw that it was indeed above normal.  Unfortunately - having recently come off the 707 – he reverted to his old Pratt & Whitney engine training.

     Pratt & Whitney remedy’s this situation with an “Abnormal Checklist.”  Whereby they recommend the pilot reduces power on the engine, until the high vibration drops to the normal range – continuing the trip with reduced power on that engine.  The pilot can also turn off either a hydraulic pump, or a generator, on that engine – which may solve the vibration problem.

     Thinking Pratt & Whitney, and really wanting to get out of Jeddah for a New York Layover, Capt. Allen took hold of throttle number Two, and gingerly reduced power as he watched the AVM for engine number Two.

     The AVM indicated something was seriously going wrong with Engine #2.

     This is where he made a serious mistake.  The four, massive fan-jet engines strapped to his ass were Rolls-Royce RB211s, which called for an “Emergency” engine shut down to solve an AVM vibration problem!

     All at once there was this huge bang as the 747 shuddered – while a brilliant flash lit up Capt. Allen’s side window. 

     Following this the red fire handle, on engine number Two, lit up along with its warning bell – causing the flight engineer to yell, “We’ve got a fire on number Two!” 

     To which Capt. Allen responded, unprofessionally, “Shut the fucker down!”  His second big mistake.  He should have closed the number Two throttle - completed the “Engine Fire” memory items on the checklist - then called for the Engine Fire Checklist.

     This is the safe, sane way to shut down the correct engine, dear reader.

     Throttle – throttle... who’s got the CORRECT throttle?

     Regrettably, this procedure was not followed, resulting in the excited flight engineer shutting down engine number One instead!  The situation had just gone from bad to disastrous!

     The 747 is presently down to only two engines on the right wing – as it’s so near the maximum takeoff weight - these engines can’t climb or maintain altitude.  Even after Capt. Allen pushes throttles Three and Four up to their maximum power settings – the 747 still enters “drift down” – losing altitude at roughly 500 feet per minute!

     Capt. Allen gently banks the 747 back towards the runway they had departed from.  He will be attempting to land the wrong way on this runway with a five knot tailwind – what little altitude he has remaining prevents him from repositioning the 747 correctly.

     The cockpit door opens and an American Captain, dead heading to JFK for his days off, joins the flight engineer and helps him in the struggle to relight engine number One.  However the fire in engine #2 is extinguished.

     Without that third engine, Allen sees they’ll hit the desert short of the runway.  He tells everyone over the PA system: “This is the captain...brace for impact...we’re going to crash!”

     Let’s take a moment, dear reader, and scrutinize engine number One.  Previously it had been happily pumping out climb power – which is a lot of thrust.  Then the engine next to him, engine Two, blows up – peppering his side with shrapnel – which he somehow manages to gulp down and keep running!  Until the lamebrain in the cockpit abruptly shuts off all his fuel and kills him!  Not satisfied, this same lamebrain is currently attempting to re-start him.  I can hear this engine now: “Well, screw them in the cockpit.  Obviously they don’t know what they’re doing.  Therefore I’ve decided they’ve abused me enough tonight.  I’m throwing in the towel and taking a holiday.  I’m not going to start!”    

     Despite this, as the 747 settled into the desert, undershooting the runway, a miracle occurred – engine number One re-started!  With that extra burst of power, Capt. Allen barely managed to set the main wheel trucks on the lip of where the runway began!

     Instantly they have a new problem – stopping.  As they didn’t have time or altitude to dump fuel, the 747 has landed at over 200,000 pounds above its maximum landing weight. 

     Immediately Allen gets on the thrust reversers at full power, deploys the spoilers and tromps on the brakes.  He’s dragging everything to retard the speed, even his feet, as his sphincter puckers.  But this heavy tub of shit won’t slow down – let alone stop!  It goes roaring down the runway with the two outboard engines in full reverse thrust (Allen can’t use inboard engines #2 and #3 in reverse – #2 is dead and #3 will make them yaw off the runway) as the red-hot brakes squeal and all 18 gigantic tires trail smoke!

     They end up using every bit of that 13,100-foot runway, and, as Allen braces himself for winding up in the desert again, the nose wheels come to rest six inches from where the asphalt ends!

     There is a system on all the wheels called “fuse plugs,” which is designed to melt and allow overheated air inside a tire to escape – preventing the tire from exploding.  All colossal 18 tires are at present flat as pancakes – the fuse plugs have done their job.

     Due to the fact he didn’t call for the “AVM Emergency Checklist” for the Rolls-Royce engine, or the “Engine Fire Checklist,” SAUDIA grounded Capt. Allen for a month.  On the other hand, because he saved the aircraft and his passengers, they didn’t fire him.

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