# Is it illegal, or proscribed in contract, for a pilot to abandon a \[hijacked\] plane? A sea captain? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 29, 2016, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-or-proscribed-in-contract-for-a-pilot-to-abandon-a-hijacked-plane-a-sea-captain/750534 "2016-03-29T16:41:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2016, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-or-proscribed-in-contract-for-a-pilot-to-abandon-a-hijacked-plane-a-sea-captain/750534/1 "2016-03-29T16:41:30Z")
Yesterday’s EgyptAir hijacking; the plane is parked, pilot exits via window: [EgyptAir hijacked plane: Suspected arrested after being branded an 'idiot' by Egyptian minister](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/egypt/12206204/EgyptAir-flight-from-Alexandria-to-Cairo-hijacked-live.html) Obviously abnormal circumstances. I’m basing this on my notion that such laws exist in marine operations. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2016, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-or-proscribed-in-contract-for-a-pilot-to-abandon-a-hijacked-plane-a-sea-captain/750534/2 "2016-03-29T17:04:12Z")
ETA: Under normal circumstances, it’s hardly a question, although I’m interested what of the many charges could be filed. Apologies for the naive-sounding subject header. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2016, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-or-proscribed-in-contract-for-a-pilot-to-abandon-a-hijacked-plane-a-sea-captain/750534/3 "2016-03-29T17:09:46Z")
Well for an actual GQ answer, the captain of the Costa Concordia liner which sank off Italy was [sentenced to 16 years](http://www.reuters.com/article/us-italy-ship-idUSKBN0LF12H20150211), in part for leaving the ship during rescue operations: > [@](#): > > The court sentenced Schettino to 10 years for multiple manslaughter, five years for causing the shipwreck and one year for abandoning his passengers. He also received a one month civil penalty for failure to report the accident correctly. ---
**Author:** ![MikeS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MikeS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeS)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2016, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-or-proscribed-in-contract-for-a-pilot-to-abandon-a-hijacked-plane-a-sea-captain/750534/4 "2016-03-29T17:25:02Z")
There is precedent for the pilots escaping without the passengers. When hijackers stormed [Pan Am Flight 73](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pan_Am_Flight_73) while it was on the ground in Karachi, the flight crew [left the passengers behind:](http://articles.latimes.com/1986-09-06/news/mn-12687_1_cockpit-crew) > [@](#): > > The escape hatch used by the Pan American World Airways cockpit crew to slip out of a hijacked jumbo jet in Pakistan is a standard feature designed for quick getaways in land-based emergencies, Boeing Co. spokesmen said Friday. > > … > > The Air Line Pilots Assn. said in Washington that it makes sense for the flight crew to escape from the plane in case of a hijacking. … “It takes away the mobility of the hijackers,” a pilots association spokesman said. You can see the “inertial escape reels” in action in [this YouTube video.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2y5lNVbBeiU) ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2016, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-or-proscribed-in-contract-for-a-pilot-to-abandon-a-hijacked-plane-a-sea-captain/750534/5 "2016-03-29T17:43:41Z")
The pilot is possibly the hi-jackers most important asset. Getting him off the plane may be a good idea. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2016, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-or-proscribed-in-contract-for-a-pilot-to-abandon-a-hijacked-plane-a-sea-captain/750534/6 "2016-03-29T18:02:11Z")
Thread title edited at request of OP. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2016, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-or-proscribed-in-contract-for-a-pilot-to-abandon-a-hijacked-plane-a-sea-captain/750534/7 "2016-03-29T18:04:43Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > The pilot is possibly the hi-jackers most important asset. Getting him off the plane may be a good idea. Yeah it seems irresponsible to me for the pilots to stay on the plane, given the opportunity to get out. Without anyone capable of flying it, a plane goes from a guided missile to a tin can. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2016, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-or-proscribed-in-contract-for-a-pilot-to-abandon-a-hijacked-plane-a-sea-captain/750534/8 "2016-03-29T18:08:17Z")
> [@MikeS](#): > > There is precedent for the pilots escaping without the passengers. When hijackers stormed [Pan Am Flight 73](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pan_Am_Flight_73) while it was on the ground in Karachi, the flight crew [left the passengers behind:](http://articles.latimes.com/1986-09-06/news/mn-12687_1_cockpit-crew) [in line cquote] > [The escape hatch used by the Pan American World Airways cockpit crew to slip out of a hijacked jumbo jet in Pakistan is a standard feature designed for quick getaways in land-based emergencies, Boeing Co. spokesmen said Friday. > > … > > The Air Line Pilots Assn. said in Washington that it makes sense for the flight crew to escape from the plane in case of a hijacking. … “It takes away the mobility of the hijackers,” a pilots association spokesman said.]… Good cite, which whets my interest in what, if any, the union (I assume that’s what that association is) or the airlines themselves, formally or anecdotally-informally have established since 9/11. It can’t be that the topic hasn’t come up. (Insert smiley-but- not- really-funny-smiley.)