 An Aer Lingus 737-200, similar to the one that was hijacked | |
| Hijacking | |
|---|---|
| Date | 2 May 1981 (1981-05-02) |
| Summary | Hijacking |
| Site | London Heathrow Airport |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Boeing737-200 |
| Operator | Aer Lingus |
| Registration | EI-ASD |
| Flight origin | Dublin |
| Destination | London Heathrow |
| Occupants | 108 |
| Passengers | 103 |
| Crew | 5 |
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
| Survivors | 108 |
Aer Lingus Flight 164 was a scheduledBoeing 737 passenger flight that was hijacked on 2 May 1981, on route fromDublin in Ireland toLondon Heathrow in England.
While on approach to Heathrow, about five minutes before the flight was due to land in England, a 55-year-old Australian man named Laurence James Downey went into the aircraft lavatory and doused himself in petrol, a highly flammable liquid.[1] He then went to the cockpit and demanded that the plane continue on toLe Touquet – Côte d'Opale Airport in France and refuel there for a flight toTehran,Iran.[2][3] Upon landing at Le Touquet, Downey further demanded the publication in the Irish press of a nine-page statement which he had the captain throw from the cockpit window.[4]
After an eight-hour standoff (during which time Downey released 11 of his 108 hostages),[5] French special forces stormed the plane and apprehended Downey. No shots were fired during the ordeal and nobody was injured.[6]
It was later found out that Downey was being sought by police inPerth, Australia, in connection with a $70,000 landfraud incident,[7] and was also wanted inShannon, Ireland, for alleged assault.[6] He was sentenced in February 1983, inSaint-Omer, France, to five years' imprisonment for air piracy.[8] Downey was released after only 18 months in prison. He then returned toAustralia.[9]
In his statement, Downey claimed to have been aTrappist monk in residence atTre Fontane Abbey in the 1950s (this was later confirmed by monastery officials),[2] before he was expelled from the order for punching a superior in the face.[3] He then took a job as a tour guide in central Portugal, at a shrine devoted toOur Lady of Fátima, the reported origin of theThree Secrets of Fátima.[2] At the time of the hijacking, the third secret was known only tothe Pope and other senior figures in theCatholic Church; Downey's statement called on theVatican to release this secret to the public.[3]
A documentary detailing the incident,Holy Hijacker - Seeking the Third Secret of Fatima, was released in 1999.[10]
The hijacking was later the subject of a comedic play titledA Holy Show.[11]
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50°30′53″N001°37′39″E / 50.51472°N 1.62750°E /50.51472; 1.62750
