Hijacked – Flight 73: The hostage who survived the 1986 Pan Am plane attack – and has now been told why by one of the terrorists
Wearing a red duvet jacket, an old T-shirt and a Panama hat, all of which had seen better days, Mike Thexton stood out like a sore thumb when he turned into the business class section of Pan Am Flight 73.
It was 5 September 1986, the plane sitting on the tarmac at Karachi airport in Pakistan in the early hours of the morning. Desperate for a decent night’s sleep and good food as he made his way back to the UK from a mountaineering trek, Mike had swapped his flight to get home a little earlier and decided to upgrade for the first time in his life.
“I can still call to mind the feeling as I put my bag down on this very big seat,” he says now. “I took out a book and thought: this is fantastic.”
The plane never took off. As it sat on the runway, Palestinian terrorists dressed as security officers stormed the aircraft, armed with Kalashnikovs, pistols and explosives; it was the start of a terrifying 16-hour ordeal for almost 400 passengers and crew on board.
Mike, aged 27 at the time, was taken hostage towards the start of the hijack after the terrorists collected passports and called his name. A gun was pointed towards him.
“By then, I was never in doubt they would shoot me,” he says. “I thought: somebody is going to die today, and it’s going to be me.”
In the end, the majority of the killing was indiscriminate; guns were fired and explosives detonated in darkness as the plane’s power went down after about 15 hours. Twenty-one people died and more than 100 were injured; but despite his initial call-up, Mike was spared.
Almost 40 years later, his story has had an extraordinary update. As part of a new Sky feature documentary, Hijacked: Flight 73, he was able to have a conversation with the man who held him at gunpoint – and discovered there was a reason he left the plane alive.
It starts with the motivation for his trip: his brother, Peter Thexton.
‘It was important to me to see where my brother died’
Mike Thexton’s older brother, Peter Thexton
Peter was a doctor and a climber who had died three years earlier, aged 30, on Broad Peak, the 12th highest mountain in the world.
Following an unsuccessful attempt on Everest in 1980, Peter was part of a group aiming to climb K2 and used the nearby Broad Peak, on the border of Pakistan and China, for acclimatisation to extreme altitude. During the trek, he developed fluid on his lungs and had to be lowered down to a high camp at 24,000ft. Despite efforts to save him, he died during the night.
Mike, now 63, from southwest London, wanted to honour his big brother. “It was important to me to see where he died,” he tells Sky News. “It was only years later when I had children of my own that I suddenly thought about my parents, that they would have not wanted me to go.”
On the plane, his first realisation something was wrong was when he heard shouting. Then he saw a man struggling with a flight attendant.
“He had a pistol in his hand, his arm wrapped round her. I remember thinking: that’s a man with a gun, how extraordinary. I didn’t duck or run away or go to help or anything, I just stared like an idiot.”
‘I was told to kneel in the doorway’
It quickly became apparent the militants’ hijack was not going to plan. The large aircraft, a jumbo jet, had an upper floor and there was confusion over where the cockpit was located, giving the pilots time to escape – and therefore no chance of the plane being under terrorist control in the air.
The terrorists were part of the Abu Nidal Organisation (ANO), which was responsible for several attacks in the 1980s; the plan for Pan Am 73 was to force the pilots to fly them to Cyprus and Israel, where other members of their militant group had been jailed on terror charges. Rajesh Kumar, 29, was the first passenger to be shot dead following failed attempts to negotiate with officials on the ground for the pilot to return.
When Mike’s name was called out, he got up. “I didn’t look much like my passport photo after a couple of months in the mountains, but I knew they would find me anyway. I felt I had to do what I was told.”
He remained calm. He had not witnessed the death of his fellow passenger, but flight attendants had. He was asked if he was carrying a gun by the group’s leader, Zaid Hassan Abd Latif Safarini. “It was the most ridiculous question. I was probably very close to hysterics, I just burst out laughing… and then he told me to kneel in the doorway.”
The conversation with a killer
Crew members around him were in tears. Mike attempted to appeal to his captor. “‘Please, please don’t hurt me. My brother has died in the mountains, my parents have no one else’. He just waved his hand as if to say, I haven’t got time for that. That’s not important. In effect, I’m going to do what I’m going to do, and you don’t really matter.”
He was left in the doorway for several hours, convinced he was going to die. In an attempt to connect with the attackers, he prayed, touching his head to the floor. “I stayed very calm,” he says. “I’d spent a couple of months in the mountains, mainly thinking about my brother and his death, and I just felt terribly sad for my parents. They had lost my brother… and then this.”
The hours rolled on and Mike eventually fell asleep. “People ask how, but I was exhausted. It’s very tiring being afraid for that long.” He remembers being woken by one of the terrorists kicking his feet. “‘Up, up, move’, he said, and put me back with the others. I couldn’t understand it.”
As the power went off and the shooting began, Mike made his escape as people poured out on to one of the wings of the plane. Like many others, he jumped. “For so many years afterwards, I thought about why they didn’t shoot me when they had the chance.”
The Hijacked documentary gave him the opportunity to find out. Producers had made contact with Safarini, who is serving a 160-year sentence in the US after originally being jailed in Pakistan for 15 years.
“I thought long and hard about it,” says Mike. “I certainly didn’t want people watching this film thinking I was having a friendly conversation with the man who killed all those people. But it was an opportunity I had to take.”
He had never forgotten the man he thought would end his life. But perhaps surprisingly, Safarini also remembered Mike Thexton. When Mike asked him why he was spared, he told him it was because of his brother. “I was speechless. It never occurred to me that he had even paid any attention, or cared, 12 hours earlier when I had told him that. It was stunning.”
The hero flight attendants
Pic: Sunshine Vesuwala/ Blast Films/ Sky UK
Mike is one of a number of survivors who share their stories in the new documentary. Another is Sunshine Vesuwala, who had been a flight attendant for just six months before the attack.
She remembers getting on the plane that day and noticing the doors were missing from a storage cabinet. “It was kind of swinging and had no support at the bottom,” she tells Sky News. “It was a little worrisome. But it was actually the best thing because we managed to shove people into the galley under the counter, and they were saved.”
When Sunshine first saw a man dressed in a security uniform holding a gun to a passenger’s head, she wasn’t afraid. “We thought there was something wrong with the passenger, that he was a smuggler or something,” she says. Then he grabbed flight attendant Neerja Bhanot. “That was when we realised it was us they were after.”
Before the attackers could find the pilots, Sunshine was called. “I was on my knees in the aisle; everyone had to put their hands in the air and just be quiet. He called me up – ‘you, come here’ – so I got up and I went.” She was asked to point out the cockpit and tried to stall. When the attackers realised the pilots had left, they asked her if they were men. “I said yes. He said they had run away, and he laughed.”
But it was the best thing the captains could have done, she says. “Any little thing in flight, under pressure… we didn’t know what they were up to and it basically comes down to lives being saved.”
When the attackers asked for passports, Sunshine helped collect them. She hid those of white Americans, fearing they would be targeted. As the hours passed, she listened out for the attackers potentially revealing each others’ names, writing them down on plasters she was carrying for potential identification later.
“I really didn’t think we’d survive,” she says. “It was a question of delaying the inevitable.”
When the lights went out, a passenger managed to open a door amid chaos as the attackers started firing. “I could see people running. They got on to the wing and some were jumping. Everyone was in a panic. So I went out and whoever was going to jump, I let them jump. The wing was full and there was no way I could control the crowd.”
Rather than jumping herself, she went back into the plane with another crew member to help those who needed it. Her colleague Neerja had done the same. Sunshine found her inside, injured. “She collapsed on the floor. We carried her and pushed her down [a slide that had been inflated].” Neerja was still alive at this point, says Sunshine, but later died of her injuries.
Mike is one of several survivors speaking about his ordeal. Pic: Blast Films/ Sky UK
When she herself was back on the ground, her first thought was to find Mike.
“He was a hostage in the front for a very long time and I was worried,” she says. “I didn’t know whether he was alive or dead. I saw him and just grabbed hold of him.”
Mike went on to write a book about his experience, What Happened To The Hippy Man? Now, he is pleased to have some answers about the ordeal – and how his brother’s story saved his life.
“I think [Safarini] thought that this person has lost somebody who was close to him,” he says. “Then it just becomes that little bit harder to shoot him. I was a real person, and I’d lost my brother.”
Hijacked airs on Sky Documentaries and Now from 29 April
Entertainment
Israeli embassy ‘deeply disturbed’ by Bob Vylan’s ‘death to the IDF’ Glastonbury chant
The Israeli embassy has said it’s “deeply disturbed” by chants of “death to the IDF” at Glastonbury – as police also investigate the incident.
Video shows one of the members of Bob Vylan shouting the slogan into the mic and some of the crowd joining in.
The duo were performing ahead of a performance by Kneecap, the Irish act who the prime minister said should be ditched from the line-up.
“The Embassy of Israel in the United Kingdom is deeply disturbed by the inflammatory and hateful rhetoric expressed on stage at the Glastonbury Festival,” a statement said.
It said slogans like Saturday’s chant “advocate for the dismantling of the State of Israel”.
The BBC said some of the comments by Bob Vylan were ‘deeply offensive’. Pic: PA
The post on X added: “When such messages are delivered before tens of thousands of festivalgoers and met with applause, it raises serious concerns about the normalisation of extremist language and the glorification of violence.”
Avon and Somerset Police said they are looking at whether a criminal offence was committed.
Bob Vylan also performed in front of a screen quoting a claim that Israel’s actions in Gaza amount to genocide.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has spoken to BBC boss Tim Davie for an “urgent explanation” about what due diligence it carried out into Bob Vylan.
Thousands watched the set on the West Holts stage. Pic: PA
A spokesman said the government strongly condemned the “threatening comments” by the group, whose X bio describes them as a “punk/rap/alt thing”.
A BBC statement said: “Some of the comments made during Bob Vylan’s set were deeply offensive.
“During this live stream on iPlayer, which reflected what was happening on stage, a warning was issued on screen about the very strong and discriminatory language.
“We have no plans to make the performance available on demand.”
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch re-posted a clip of the incident and called it “grotesque”.
“Violence against Jews isn’t edgy. The West is playing with fire if we allow this sort of behaviour to go unchecked,” she said on X.
Read more:
Kneecap rapper tells Glastonbury he’s a ‘free man’
Lewis Capaldi plays ‘secret’ set at Glastonbury
Robbie Williams addresses Glastonbury rumours
A statement from Glastonbury Festival said it “does not condone hate speech or incitement to violence of any kind from its performers”.
Kneecap also performed – with the BBC not showing them live. Pic: Reuters
Irish group Kneecap followed Bob Vylan – with the broadcaster not carrying their performance live amid concern over what they might do or say.
However, it’s understood their show will be made available on demand after a review.
One of its members, Liam Og O hAnnaidh, was charged with a terror offence in May after being accused of displaying a flag in support of proscribed terror group Hezbollah at a gig.
Pic: Reuters
There were Palestinian flags among the crowd for Kneecap’s show. Pic: Reuters
Bandmate Naoise O Caireallain told the packed Glastonbury crowd they should “start a riot outside the courts”, before clarifying: “No riots just love and support, and support for Palestine.”
O hAnnaidh – also known as Mo Chara – wore a Palestinian keffiyeh scarf for Saturday’s set and told fans he was a “free man”.
Entertainment
Calum Scott: Britain’s Got Talent star on fame, mental health and dealing with body dysmorphia
There was a moment in Calum Scott’s life when he found himself contemplating taking his own life.
The 36-year-old singer-songwriter tells Sky News: “I did get to a point where I had a very low self-esteem, very low self-worth… I thought, ‘I can’t see how my life will get any better from this moment’.”
He says it was only the thought of the “shattering” impact his death would have on his mum Debbie that pulled him back from the edge and gave him the momentum to reach out for help.
“What I thought was my lowest moment was probably my most defining moment in terms of being able to pick myself up… and to walk away, albeit with lots of tears and a lot of emotion.
“That was the moment that I needed to pursue better mental health.”
Calum Scott has achieved a billion streams of his music. Pic: Tom Cockram
He’s since racked up a billion streams of his music, joining the likes of The Rolling Stones, Whitney Houston and ABBA in his achievement.
His biggest UK chart hit – a cover of Robyn’s Dancing On My Own – reached number two in the singles chart, with the video having been viewed more than half a billion times on YouTube.
It’s a future he would have found hard to comprehend just a decade ago.
Scott was working in the HR department of Hull City Council when Britain’s Got Talent made him an overnight star after receiving a “golden buzzer” (an automatic pass into the semi-finals) from judge Simon Cowell.
Scott reached the final – which was won by Jules O’Dwyer and her dog Matisse – and the singer’s success was the things dreams are made of. But he admits, it wasn’t all roses.
Calum performing with Take That at the King’s coronation. Pic: PA
“That was when I first started having panic attacks,” he says. “For me to suddenly start down that road was scary.
“There’s no handbook on how to deal with fame. That doesn’t exist, as far as I know.”
A notoriously tough business, Scott says the music scene is one where “people constantly want something from you”.
The death of One Direction star Liam Payne – who rose to fame on talent show X Factor – last year was a stark reminder of the pressure on those in the public eye.
Liam Payne died last year. Pic: Reuters
Scott says Payne’s death could be the “wake-up call that the industry needs” to highlight “the pressure, the expectation (and) the workload” on young artists.
“You need that balance to be able to be creative, and the industry is where art meets consumerism,” he says.
“I think you’ve got to be careful that that line doesn’t start to impose on your soul and in your heart.”
‘A prisoner in your own body’
For Scott, his desire to perform in front of thousands has lived alongside his battle with the debilitating mental health condition, body dysmorphia.
“It’s an industry where people are not only listening to the music, but they’re looking at you and scrutinising you, and it’s difficult to put yourself out there – to be enjoyed and to entertain people – but also to be criticised,” he says.
Estimated to affect up to 2% of the adult population in the UK, according to the Body Dysmorphic Disorder Foundation, sufferers spend hours worrying about perceived flaws in their appearance, which can severely impact work, social life and relationships.
Scott says: “For me, growing up, I had a few issues with my sexuality and my dad leaving when I was young and losing all my friends. A lot of reasons compounded down as to why I ended up with body dysmorphia.”
Pic: Tom Cockram
At his worst, obsessively documenting his perceived flaws, Scott says: “For anybody who’s suffering with body dysmorphia, you feel a prisoner in your own body, and it’s awful.
“With social media, it’s difficult because every facet of every part of our life is documented on Instagram in the perfect way. And that’s just not how life works.
“People aren’t putting their worst parts on social media. Somebody wakes up at six in the morning, they’re beautiful and their hair’s done, but somebody set that camera up to record that moment. It’s not real.”
‘The favourite part of my job’
One thing that is real is Scott’s connection to his fans.
Calum at this year’s Brit Awards. Pic: Reuters
“My favourite part of my job is going to a gig and performing the songs that have resonated with people in such different, vast ways, and watching it happen in real time,” he says.
“It’s like magic, you know? Like the stuff you used to watch – Paul Daniels on the TV, and my god, it just used to buzz you. It’s the same thing.”
With a new album and a 48-city world tour ahead of him, Scott’s story is an inspiring one.
A mental health advocate, his message of hope is one he hopes to share with his fans and beyond: “I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t give myself the opportunity to. It’s important to just stay headstrong, believe in yourself. Anything’s possible.”
Calum Scott’s third studio album, Avenoir, is out on 12 September, followed by his world tour, which kicks off on 12 October in Porto, Portugal.
Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK
Declaring a ‘Pulp Summer’ on the screen behind them, the band appeared on Glastonbury’s Pyramid Stage for another of the festival’s “surprise” performances.
Billed as the non-existent act Patchwork in the days beforehand, fans knew to expect something big – similar to when The ChurnUps turned out to be the Foo Fighters in 2023.
A group of people mysteriously walked on to the stage in waterproof ponchos before the “secret” was revealed and the Pulp homage to fellow Saturday night performer Charli XCX’s Brat Summer appeared on screen.
Glastonbury’s greatest secret sets of all time
Like Lewis Capaldi’s unannounced set on Friday, everyone at Glastonbury knew who to expect by the time Jarvis Cocker and co began at 6.15pm, thanks to the bookies’ odds, “secret” sources and whispers around the festival.
The Sheffield band were welcomed with a huge turnout at the festival’s biggest stage.
Jarvis Cocker was welcomed with a huge turnout at the festival’s biggest stage. Pic: PA
In tribute to their headline performance in 1995, when they famously took over from The Stone Roses at short notice, Pulp started with Sorted For E’s And Whizz and then straight into Disco 2000 – two songs played live for the first time on this same stage 30 years ago.
“It was the very, very first time they were played – you could say they were born in Glastonbury,” Cocker told the crowd.
From the Mercury Prize-winning Different Class, the album that propelled Pulp to topping the charts and platinum sales, and one of the most critically acclaimed records of the 1990s, the songs prompted a mass sing-along – and jump-along from an enthusiastic crowd who knew every word.
“My name’s Jarvis, this is Pulp,” Cocker announced, just in case anyone was in any doubt. “Sorry for people who were expecting Patchwork. Did you know that we were going to play?”
Cocker mischievously asked crowds: ‘Did you know that we were going to play?’ Pic: PA
After their 1990s hits, the band launched into Spike Island, the lead single from More – their first album in 24 years, released earlier this month.
It was a set full of memorable moments – including the Red Arrows flying over – and Cocker picking up an acoustic guitar for the poignant Something Changed.
Do You Remember The First Time? And Babies also featured, before the band of course ended on their biggest hit – Common People.
Pulp’s appearance came after keyboard player Candida Doyle appeared to confirm the band would not perform at the festival in a BBC interview beforehand, despite much speculation that they would fill one of the unannounced slots.
Read more from Sky News:
Kneecap rapper says he’s a ‘free man‘
Performers criticise political interference
Listen: The future of Glastonbury
Pulp performed songs including Sorted For E’s And Whizz, Disco 2000 and Common People. Pic: PA
“We wanted to, just because it’s the 30th anniversary and that kind of thing, and they weren’t interested,” she said. “And then we were thinking maybe next year, and then they’re not doing it next year.”
Along with the headliners and the Sunday afternoon “legends slots”, unannounced sets from the likes of the Foo Fighters, The Killers, and Radiohead have become some of the most talked-about performances at Glastonbury in recent years.
As well as Capaldi and Pulp, acts including Lorde and Haim have also popped up as “secrets” this year.
Pulp have a history of surprises at the festival, having performed a secret set on the Park Stage in 2011 following their first hiatus.
Formed in 1978, they released three albums in the 1980s and early ’90s before finding mainstream success with 1994’s His And Hers.
Different Class came 18 months later in October 1995 and Pulp became huge, helped in no small part by their memorable performance at Glastonbury earlier in the year.
Thirty years later, they have entered the festival’s history books once again.
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports1 year agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports2 years agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Sports2 years agoButton battles heat exhaustion in NASCAR debut
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike