# Would you fight if your Plane was Hijacked? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 7, 2004, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-fight-if-your-plane-was-hijacked/249111 "2004-06-07T16:03:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2004, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-fight-if-your-plane-was-hijacked/249111/81 "2004-06-08T23:03:31Z")
I’m fairly certain I’d fight (I don’t think anyone can know with absolute certainty what they’d do in such a sitation, but…), even though I’m just a girl… ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2004, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-fight-if-your-plane-was-hijacked/249111/82 "2004-06-08T23:29:52Z")
> [@Call me Frank](#): > > Good idea about using the luggage as a shield, **silenus** , I probably wouldn’t have thought of that. \*\*wolfman \*\* mentioned it first, but I’m sure a number of us have thought about it and come to the same conclusion. ---
**Author:** ![Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carnac_the_Magnificent)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2004, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-fight-if-your-plane-was-hijacked/249111/83 "2004-06-09T02:10:02Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > The problem is, though, that in the post-9/11 world, we almost _have_ to assume that the hijacking will fall under scenario number 2. Sure, the hijackers might try to tell you that they just want to fly somewhere, but you don’t really know what they have planned. I think in the split seconds you have to make the decision, fighting would really be the only option. > > This is an interesting question, because i think that the whole 9/11 disaster actually put an end to commercial airline hijackings in the traditional sense. Any hijacker now, even one who just wants to be flown to some strange destination, or who wants to make a political point, has to know that the passengers are almost certain to try and foil the attempt. For passengers, the old days of sitting in your seat and hoping everything turns out OK are gone. The stakes have been raised, and i think any hijacking attempt would be countered by the passengers in short order, on the assumption that to do nothing is to die anyway. So where do you stand–fight or debate and die? ---
**Author:** ![Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carnac_the_Magnificent)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2004, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-fight-if-your-plane-was-hijacked/249111/84 "2004-06-09T02:23:20Z")
> [@](#): > > Mhendo: > > …"fighting would really be the only optiono where do you stand–fight or debate and die? Christ, Mhendo, I didn’t see your response. Okay, you can sit near me after all. Here’s why I would absolutely fight: I know going in there is zero percent chance of living if I cower and maybe only two percent if I fight. What would spur me to act is not just rage at the bastards, but my psycho desire to inflict as my pain on them as I can before they cut me down. I’m a big guy. I know going unarmed against a prick with a knife–not that he has ANY training in knife-fighting, mind you–isn’t my ideal choice. But I’m also reasonably confident that I could inflict mortal wounds on him before I bleed to death. In short, I want to see the horror on _his_ face when tables turn and Allah is calling him home. I want to hear him gasp, see him shudder and watch him die. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2004, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-fight-if-your-plane-was-hijacked/249111/85 "2004-06-09T02:31:38Z")
> [@Phlosphr](#): > > I agree it is improbably that hijackers would be able to take over a plane in the same fashion on 9/11. However, if we assume they know this…I shudder to think what they would try next. [Well, at least one group has threatened attacks on airplanes.](http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/06/07/saudi.threat/index.html) Granted, words are just words and it doesn’t say specifically that they would try to use the plane as a weapon. But given the importance of travel to the United States, I’m sure they wouldn’t pass up attacking planes again if they got the chance. Heh, if nothing else, this thread could be a useful tutorial. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Necro\_Romancer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/50afbb/32.png) [@Necro\_Romancer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Necro_Romancer)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2004, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-fight-if-your-plane-was-hijacked/249111/86 "2004-06-09T03:01:21Z")
> [@](#): > > Would you fight if your Plane was Hijacked? _click click_ _click click_ ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2004, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-fight-if-your-plane-was-hijacked/249111/87 "2004-06-09T11:34:35Z")
> [@Necro Romancer](#): > > _click click_ > _click click_ 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2004, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-fight-if-your-plane-was-hijacked/249111/88 "2004-06-09T13:12:52Z")
> [@Rick](#): > > Everyone seems to be missing a point here. > Everyone seems to be talking about taking the plane back from the hijackers. This is the wrong attitude. The correct attitude is as soon as the first guy stands up and yells Allah Ackbar, my set belt is coming off and I will be in war mode. If I am seated in front of these losers, they will have to get through me to get to the cockpit, if I am seated behind them I will pick them off from the rear. > Now before anyone says I don’t know how I would react, I can tell you that I have had guns pointed at me, knives held to my throat, and I once ran a pair of armed robbers out of a gas station with a large crescent wrench, I know how I would react. > if the plane gets hijacked I have to assume that I am dead. Any other assumption is just metal masturbation post 9/11. So looking at it this way, since I am dead already (even though I am still breathing), I might as well make my death mean something. If I am going to go in a hijacking when I get the the pearly gates, I want to be able to look St. Peter in the eye, and say “Yeah, but you should see the other guy!” > Oh and better then the fire extinguisher would be a wine bottle or beer bottle out of the food cart. hell of a club, and if you break off the neck it is equal to any knife you can name. Stick it in the face and twist. :eek: I do hope we can fit down the isle together, cuz I’d be right next to you. Oh and watching the frightened look on their faces when they see 10 guys get up to their 5 would be priceless. **Quick hijack** [sup]terrible pun I know[/sup] of my own thread, but if the cockpit is locked securly, what could the terrorists do to bring the plane down? Let’s say they open a door or some other such treachery…what could they do other than fight with the passengers…hope no one fights back…? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2004, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-fight-if-your-plane-was-hijacked/249111/89 "2004-06-09T13:52:23Z")
> [@Phlosphr](#): > > **Quick hijack** [sup]terrible pun I know[/sup] of my own thread, but if the cockpit is locked securly, what could the terrorists do to bring the plane down? Do you mean to get control of the plane? Maybe they could try a hostage thing or a bomb threat. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2004, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-fight-if-your-plane-was-hijacked/249111/90 "2004-06-09T14:12:38Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Do you mean to get control of the plane? Maybe they could try a hostage thing or a bomb threat. Well maybe to get the plane down, or maybe just to cause terror…What I am asserting is, if the pilots won’t open the door, there is little a terrorist can do to get in. I’m not even sure if killing passengers would open the door in this post 9/11 America. I could be wrong. And if their intent was to take over the plane, they would still have to get by the unruly passengers who all want to ring their neck, because we’d know what they wanted to do! ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2004, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-fight-if-your-plane-was-hijacked/249111/91 "2004-06-09T14:15:08Z")
> [@Phlosphr](#): > > What I am asserting is, if the pilots won’t open the door, there is little a terrorist can do to get in. True. But you don’t need to get into the cockpit to bring a plane down if you just want to destroy it. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2004, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-fight-if-your-plane-was-hijacked/249111/92 "2004-06-09T14:58:40Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > True. But you don’t need to get into the cockpit to bring a plane down if you just want to destroy it. Right, but then it is just a plane crash…and not a targeted hit to the capital building. I’d think the Al Quaida types would want the big bang! NO? ---
**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2004, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-fight-if-your-plane-was-hijacked/249111/93 "2004-06-09T15:25:56Z")
I am glad the wus to hero ratio is so good. I’m not entirely convinced that a plane full of Rambo types is better then a plane full of wussies though, in terms of survival. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2004, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-fight-if-your-plane-was-hijacked/249111/94 "2004-06-09T15:41:38Z")
> [@Phlosphr](#): > > Right, but then it is just a plane crash…and not a targeted hit to the capital building. I’d think the Al Quaida types would want the big bang! NO? I would think so, but blowing up a couple of planes at the same time would achieve their goal as well. Hypothetically, if you’re just going to blow yourself up and take out the plane, you don’t need to target uncrowded flights like the September 11th guys did, and you might not need teams either. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2004, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-fight-if-your-plane-was-hijacked/249111/95 "2004-06-09T15:47:14Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > It’s not that I don’t think someone would or would not. It’s just that I don’t necessarily beleive a lot of the macho BS I’m hearing from people. Talk’s easy. Maybe they would step up, maybe they wouldn’t. All I’m saying is that no one knows what they will do in such a situation until they are put into it. Ok, we all agree that no one knows what they’ll do until they do it. > [@](#): > > It’s not an issue of bravery. One dude-yeah, a couple of guys can just tackle him like that shoe bomber. Half a dozen organized guys with weapons - I might want to formulate a plan or something before I just bum-rush the first guy I see. > > Everyone thinks they will be the guy storming the machinegun nest on Normandy. No one gets off the boat and says “I’m going to crap my pants and hide behind some obstacle weeping like a girl until the bullets stop”. The events of 9/11 prove you wrong. The one plane where the passengers had time to formulate a plan and knew what had happenned previously turned into a bunch of charging, screaming, rightously pissed-off people. Now, most everyone will have that in mind, I do not think it’s BS or posturing. But please, go ahead and argue as much as you want. I think it’s funny that a discussion like this can go on and on on a message board when it’s all kinda moot. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2004, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-fight-if-your-plane-was-hijacked/249111/96 "2004-06-09T15:49:47Z")
> [@BMalion](#): > > Ok, we all agree that no one knows what they’ll do until they do it. > > The events of 9/11 prove you wrong. The one plane where the passengers had time to formulate a plan and knew what had happenned previously turned into a bunch of charging, screaming, rightously pissed-off people. Now, most everyone will have that in mind, I do not think it’s BS or posturing. > > But please, go ahead and argue as much as you want. I think it’s funny that a discussion like this can go on and on on a message board when it’s all kinda moot. Yes, Moot. But nontheless informative for those of us who fly often. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2004, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-fight-if-your-plane-was-hijacked/249111/97 "2004-06-09T16:05:30Z")
Sorry, I meant “moot” in that I agreed that the days of that kind of hijacking are probubly over. and… I’d fight like a cornered weasel! ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2004, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-fight-if-your-plane-was-hijacked/249111/98 "2004-06-09T16:07:55Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > [Well, at least one group has threatened attacks on airplanes.](http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/06/07/saudi.threat/index.html) Granted, words are just words and it doesn’t say specifically that they would try to use the plane as a weapon. But given the importance of travel to the United States, I’m sure they wouldn’t pass up attacking planes again if they got the chance. I think that the threat to airplanes these days is surface-to-air missles. Post-9/11, hijacking with knives would be…counter-productive, to say the least. Locked doors, air marshalls, pissed passengers make hijacking too big a risk. But a Stinger can take down a 757 from a pretty good distance. Easier to just go skeet-shooting than try a co-ordinated hijack. And we gave Stingers to freaking _everybody_ during the Cold War! Just one more thing to worry about… ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2004, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-fight-if-your-plane-was-hijacked/249111/99 "2004-06-09T17:58:30Z")
If they get in the cockpit, everyone is dead. Even if you die in the process of them getting to the cockpit, the noise and comotion you make will hopefully be enough to alert the crew to what’s going on so they can prepare some sort of surprise for the first hijacker when he opens the cockpit door \* - such as a fire extinguisher ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2004, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-fight-if-your-plane-was-hijacked/249111/100 "2004-06-09T18:12:22Z")
> [@BMalion](#): > > Ok, we all agree that no one knows what they’ll do until they do it. I fly a lot. sometime 3 or 4 round trips a month. Over 50,000 miles per year for the last 12 years or so. I started giving this subject much thought on 9/11 since at the time I was out of the country on a business trip. (BTW shout out to our Canadian friends, they were wonderful to a very lonely stranded American) I made the decision on that day, that if anyone ever tried to hijack a flight I was on, I would refuse to be a willing victim. They will have to kill me before I let them take over a flight I am on. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-fight-if-your-plane-was-hijacked/249111.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-fight-if-your-plane-was-hijacked/249111.md?page=6)