The Skies Belong to Us: Love and Terror in the Golden Age of Hijacking (42 page)

  
1
hung above his desk:
Thomas Crawford, interview by author, Oct. 2010.

  
2
his young bride’s hair:
William Newell, interview by author, Sept. 2010.

  
3
in suburban San Mateo:
Ibid. 127
main terminal’s fourth floor:
FBI, “Critique of Hijack of Western Airlines 727, Jun. 2, 1972,” Jun. 9, 1972 (obtained through FOIA request).

  
4
items on a folding table:
Ibid., Newell interview.

  
5
he declined to reveal:
“Hijack Ransom Missing,”
Boca Raton
(Fla.)
News
, Jun. 6, 1972.

  
6
comply with the hijackers:
FBI, “Willie Roger Holder, aka; Catherine Kerkow; Crime Aboard Aircraft—Air Piracy; Kidnapping,” San Francisco, Jun. 5, 1972 (FOIA).

  
7
at least two more hours:
[Name redacted], vice president of Centralized Services Office, Bank of America, interview by FBI, San Francisco, Jun. 2, 1972 (FOIA).

  
8
to make some calls:
Newell interview.

  
9
between Honolulu and Hanoi:
Airliners.net
, data section, aircraft range information.

10
to be his co-pilot:
Jan Thompson, interview by author, Sept. 2010.

11
would be his flight engineer:
“Pilot Opposes Force Against Hijackers,”
San Diego Evening Tribune
, Jun. 19, 1972.

12
“going on a trip”:
Donald Thompson, interview by FBI, Queens, N.Y., Jun. 4, 1972 (FOIA).

13
“in a couple of minutes”:
Communications between Western Airlines Flight 701 and Western Dispatch, transcript, private collection of William Newell.

14
“regards to this country”:
Ibid.

15
evidence of a kidnapping:
Edward Richardson, interview by author, Jun. 2010.

16
jet had been delivered:
Jerome Juergens, interview by FBI, Millbrae, Calif., Jun. 2, 1972 (FOIA).

17
enable an FBI ambush:
Regina Youngren (formerly Cutcher), interview by author, Jun. 2010.

18
aboard a full flight:
Newell interview.

19
“They mean business”:
Western Airlines Flight 701 communications, transcript.

20
bomb in their midst:
Ronald Dellinger, interview by author, Aug. 2010; Donna Jones interview by FBI, San Francisco International Airport, Jun. 2, 1972 (FOIA).

21
at 8:05 p.m.:
Western Airlines Flight 701 communications, transcript.

22
he so desperately craved:
Regina Cutcher (later Youngren), written statement to FBI, Jun. 2, 1972, private collection of William Newell.

23
would be free to go:
Western Airlines Flight 701 communications, transcript.

24
“Right”:
Crawford interview.

25
more than thirty pounds:
[Name redacted], vice president at Centralized Services Office, Bank of America, FBI interview. The weight estimate is based on the fact that each bill, regardless of denomination,
weighs approximately one gram.

26
into a war zone:
Glenna MacAlpine, interview by FBI, at JFK International Airport, Jun. 3, 1972 (FOIA).

27
aimed to use violence:
FBI, “Willie Roger Holder, aka; Catherine Kerkow; Crime Aboard Aircraft—Air Piracy; Kidnapping”; Newell interview.

28
its way to San Francisco:
FBI, “Critique of Hijack of Western Airlines 727, Jun. 2, 1972.”

  
1
in order to land safely:
Ronald Dellinger, interview by author, Aug. 2010.

  
2
flying in from Las Vegas:
Ibid.

  
3
as he had instructed:
Communications between Western Airlines Flight 701 and Western Dispatch, transcript, private collection of William Newell.

  
4
Holder agreed:
Donna Jones, written statement to FBI, Jun. 2, 1972, private collection of William Newell.

  
5
the whole plane’s attention:
Thomas Crawford, interview by author, Oct. 2010.

  
6
three-quarters of the ransom:
“D. B. Cooper Case Inspired Copycat Hijackings in Reno,”
Reno
(Nev.)
Gazette-Journal
, Nov. 22, 2011.

  
7
to make the switch:
Western Airlines Flight 701 communications, transcript; FBI, “Willie Roger Holder, aka; Catherine Kerkow; Crime Aboard Aircraft—Air Piracy; Kidnapping,” San Francisco, Jun. 5, 1972 (obtained through FOIA request).

  
8
“it’s almost run out”:
Crawford interview.

  
9
“Roger”:
Western Airlines Flight 701 communications, transcript.

10
with two colleagues:
FBI, “Willie Roger Holder, aka; Catherine Kerkow; Crime Aboard Aircraft—Air Piracy; Kidnapping.”

11
runway 19R immediately:
Western Airlines Flight 701 communications, transcript.

12
endanger his passengers’ lives:
William Newell, interview by author, Sept. 2010.

13
“It isn’t over”:
Donna Jones, interview by author, Jun. 2010.

14
were about to depart:
Dellinger interview.

15
hands atop their heads:
Newell interview.

16
orders to the cabin:
Crawford interview.

17
“Walk fast”:
Regina Cutcher (later Youngren), written statement to FBI, Jun. 2, 1972, private collection of William Newell.

18
an appreciative smile:
Regina Youngren (formerly Cutcher), interview by author, Jun. 2010.

19
urge to be a hero:
Jones interview.

20
onto the tarmac:
Cutcher statement.

21
Just go:
Willie Roger Holder, interview by author, Aug. 2011.

22
a fellow military pilot:
FBI, “Willie Roger Holder, aka; Catherine Kerkow; Crime Aboard Aircraft—Air Piracy; Kidnapping.”

23
back to the 727:
Cutcher statement.

24
over the left wing:
[Name redacted] of Phoenix, Ariz., passenger on Western Airlines Flight 701, interview by FBI, Queens, N.Y., Jun. 3, 1972 (FOIA).

25
was free to go:
Crawford interview.

26
“It’s over”:
Cutcher statement.

27
the universe’s majestic plan:
Richard Luker, interview by FBI, Queens, N.Y., Jun. 4, 1972 (FOIA).

28
“I’ll let you know”:
William Newell, interview by FBI, JFK International Airport, Jun. 4, 1972 (FOIA).

29
jet with cannon fire:
Roger Holder,
Eli and the 13th Confession
(unpublished memoir), 59, private collection of Joy Holder.

30
“Algiers”:
Newell interview.

  
1
the capital of Algeria:
William Newell, interview by author, Sept. 2010.

  
2
transatlantic travel:
Ibid.

  
3
any hint of deception:
Richard Luker, interview by FBI, Queens, N.Y., Jun. 4, 1972 (obtained through FOIA request).

  
4
expecting them for supper:
Western Airlines Flight 364 cockpit communications, audio recording, private collection of Jan Thompson.

  
5
any further FBI meddling:
FBI, “Willie Roger Holder, aka; Catherine Kerkow; Crime Aboard Aircraft—Air Piracy; Kidnapping,” San Francisco, Jun. 5, 1972 (FOIA).

  
6
end on American soil:
Ronald Dellinger, interview by author, Aug. 2010.

  
7
until sleep overcame her:
[Name redacted] of Phoenix, Ariz., passenger on Western Airlines Flight 701, interview by FBI, Queens, N.Y., Jun. 3, 1972 (FOIA).

  
8
Holder was acting alone:
Luker, FBI interview.

  
9
sit there all alone:
Ibid.

10
into the scrub:
“D. B. Cooper Case Inspired Copycat Hijackings in Reno,”
Reno
(Nev.)
Gazette-Journal
, Nov. 22, 2011.

11
for their FBI debriefings:
Regina Youngren (formerly Cutcher), interview by author, Jun. 2010.

12
named Willie Roger Holder:
[Name redacted], passenger on Western Airlines Flight 701, handwritten observational notes, Jun. 2, 1972 (FOIA).

13
in the Army dress uniform:
Numerous FBI interviews I obtained consisted of only a paragraph or two, in which the agent noted that the interview subject was either intoxicated or hadn’t witnessed anything of value.

14
as four black radicals:
“Four Hijack Jet in West,”
Bangor
(Me.)
Daily News
, Jun. 2, 1972.

15
“a five-year-old’s vocabulary”:
“Hijacker of Seattle Plane Is Algiers Bound in Another Jet,”
Seattle Times
, Jun. 3, 1972.

16
with open arms:
Newell interview.

17
to avoid basic training:
Carol Nizzi, interview by author, October 2010.

18
the idea of Algiers:
William Newell, interview by FBI, at JFK International Airport, Jun. 4, 1972 (FOIA).

19
“they want me to do”:
Luker, FBI interview.

20
rather than New York:
Newell, FBI interview.

21
“I’ll let you know”:
Dellinger interview.

22
the pitch-black sky:
[Name redacted] of Phoenix, Ariz., FBI interview.

23
Brown readily agreed:
Newell, FBI interview.

24
killed Richard Obergfell:
Luker, FBI interview.

25
“Let’s go!”:
Communication between Western Airlines Flight 364 and JFK International Airport control tower, Jun. 3, 1972, transcript, private collection of William Newell.

26
equipment for the operation:
FBI, memorandum regarding contact between agents and Capt. William
Newell, JFK International Airport, Jun. 6, 1972 (FOIA).

27
to no avail:
Luker, FBI interview.

28
“you understand?”:
Western Airlines Flight 364 communications with Kennedy tower, transcript.

29
the disguised FBI agent:
FBI memorandum regarding contact between agents and Captain Newell.

30
orders weren’t obeyed:
Luker, FBI interview.

31
exit was still sealed:
[Name redacted], passenger on Western Airlines Flight 701/364, interview by FBI, Downey, Calif., Jun. 6, 1972 (FOIA).

32
made her choice:
Dellinger interview; Glenna MacAlpine, interview by FBI, JFK International Airport, Jun. 3, 1972 (FOIA).

33
released thirty hostages:
Newell interview.

34
Flight 364’s captain:
FBI memorandum regarding contact between agents and Captain Newell.

35
toward Jones Beach:
Western Airlines Flight 364 communications with Kennedy tower, transcript.

36
“two armed bombs aboard”:
Luker, FBI interview.

37
caring about the cold:
Willie Roger Holder, interview by author, Aug. 2010; Willie Roger Holder,
Eli and the 13th Confession
(unpublished memoir), 171, private collection of Joy Holder.

38
had escaped their notice:
Newell interview; Luker, FBI interview.

39
stock of Kerkow’s figure:
Richard Banks, interview by author, Jun. 2010.

40
Coca-Cola from a can:
Holder,
Eli and 13th Confession
, 151.

41
“turn him on”:
Richard Wood, interview by author, Jul. 2010.

42
destination than Algiers:
Newell interview.

43
“go to Geneva?”:
Ibid.

44
“give me amnesty?”:
Luker, FBI interview.

45
Flight 364’s every move:
The KC-135 is mentioned twice in the folder of documents that Western Airlines director of flight control Norman Rose gave to William Newell: once in the transcript of a communication between the Western dispatch center in Los Angeles and an unspecified party, and once in a handwritten note evidently made by a member of TWA’s flight operations staff. Newell was not told of the shadow aircraft until his return to the United States.

46
Cuba of the Alps:
Newell interview; unknown Western Airlines official, handwritten note, private collection of William Newell.

47
Airport at once:
FBI Legat Madrid to acting FBI director, Jun. 7, 1972 (FOIA).

48
botching Operation Sisyphus:
Newell interview.

49
“I want Eldridge Cleaver”:
Ibid.; Luker, FBI interview.