Pan Am Flight 841: Difference between revisions

Pan Am Flight 841
	Boeing 747-100, similar to the one hijacked
Hijacking
Date	2 July 1972; 52 years ago
Summary	Hijacking
Site	Tan Son Nhut Air Base
Aircraft
Aircraft type	Boeing 747-121
Operator	Pan American World Airways
Flight origin	San Francisco International Airport
1st stopover	Honolulu (Daniel K. Inouye) International Airport
2nd stopover	Guam (Antonio Won Pat) International Airport
Last stopover	Manila (Ninoy Aquino) International Airport
Destination	Tan Son Nhut Air Base
Passengers	136
Crew	17
Fatalities	1 (hijacker)
Survivors	152

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Pan Am Flight 841 was a commercial passenger flight of a Boeing 747 from San Francisco, California to Saigon, South Vietnam which was hijacked over the South China Sea on 2 July 1972, ostensibly as an act of protest concerning United States involvement in the Vietnam War as well as the expulsion from the U.S. of the South Vietnamese hijacker, a recent graduate of a U.S. university. The hijacking ended when the captain and passengers overcame and killed the lone hijacker after the plane landed at Tan Son Nhut Airport in Saigon.

Flight

PA841 was a scheduled Pan Am commercial passenger flight, on a Boeing 747, which departed from San Francisco on 2 July 1972 destined for Saigon with stops at Honolulu, Guam and Manila.^[1]^[2]^[3]

About 45 minutes after the plane departed Manila with 153 passengers and crew aboard for the final leg of its trip to Saigon, a 24-year-old South Vietnamese native, Nguyễn Thái Bình, passed a note to a flight attendant that stated in English, "You are going to fly me to Hanoi and this airplane will be destroyed when we get there." Bình, who claimed to be North Vietnamese, also took another flight attendant hostage. The note was conveyed to the flight's 53-year-old captain, Eugene Vaughn. Bình had graduated from the University of Washington on 10 June 1972 with a bachelor's degree in fisheries management after attending from 1968 to 1971 on a USAID scholarship. An activist opposed to U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, Bình had been arrested for occupying the South Vietnamese consulate in New York; his visa was revoked on 7 June and he was expelled from the U.S.. Bình, who boarded the flight in Honolulu, ostensibly decided to hijack his flight home as an "act of revenge".^[1]

When Vaughn refused to reroute the flight from Saigon to Hanoi, Bình wrote a second note spattered with his own blood. The second note read "This indicates how serious I am about being taken to Hanoi." Vaughn confronted Bình in the cabin and observed a foil-wrapped package that Bình said contained a bomb. Bình was also armed with a long knife. Vaughn also spoke with another passenger on the flight, W.H. Mills, whom he knew to be a retired San Francisco police officer, advising him that he might require his assistance to overcome the hijacker and returning the officer's .357 magnum handgun that had been stored in the cockpit for safekeeping during the flight.^[2]^[4]

Vaughn landed at Saigon's Tan Son Nhut Airport under the pretext of needing to refuel the aircraft. After landing, Vaughn walked back to the cabin to speak with the hijacker again. Bình, highly agitated, threatened to detonate his bomb unless the aircraft immediately departed for Hanoi. Claiming to have trouble understanding Bình's speech, Vaughn encouraged Bình to lean closer. When he did so, Vaughn restrained Bình in a choke hold and he and two passengers knocked the package from Bình's hand and pinned him to the floor. Vaughn signalled Mills, who shot Bình five times, killing him. Vaughn then carried Bình's body to the rear exit of the aircraft and threw it onto the tarmac. The 135 surviving passengers and 17 crew members evacuated the aircraft. The only reported injury other than the death of the hijacker was that of a U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel, a passenger on the flight, who broke his leg exiting via the inflated evacuation chute.^[2] The plane took off hours later for Hong Kong to have its evacuation gear repaired.

Aftermath

Vaughn reported that he had guessed (correctly) that Bình was bluffing. The foil-wrapped package actually contained lemons.^[5]

Many U.S. anti-war protesters viewed Bình as a martyr for their cause,^[6] and shortly after the incident a break-in occurred at Vaughn's home in Scottsdale, Arizona, with "animal intestines, paint and broken bottles" thrown into his swimming pool.^[7] The protesters also left a note, apparently written in animal blood: "Pig Eugene Vaughn guilty of murder. To be punished later. Long live Nguyễn Thái Bình. Victory to the Vietnamese. Death to the American aggressor."^[8] However, Vaughn was also lauded as a hero who acted to save his passengers, craft and crew, and his actions were described as an expression of frustration with the many hijackings that occurred during the period. Vaughn was quoted as saying, at an event to honor him at the Phoenix airport on his return to the United States, "A lot of time and effort has been spent on trying to prevent hijackings, but the only thing that will be effective is a mandatory death penalty, without any loopholes."^[7]^[1]^[3] Vaughn retired from Pan Am in 1979 after 38 years with the airline, and died of cancer in 1984; both of his sons became airline pilots.^[9]

Bình's friends in the US established a collection in 1974 at the University of Washington library, containing papers about Bình's life and protest activities.^[10] Among those involved in establishing the collection were noted clergyman and peace activist William Sloane Coffin and academic and author Bruce E. Johansen.^[10] A street is named for Bình in present-day Ho Chi Minh City, honoring him as a hero of the 1970s anti-colonial movement in Vietnam.^[11]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Brendan Koerner (18 June 2013). "Nguyen Thai Binh picked the wrong plane to hijack". Slate Magazine.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Air Pirate Slain on Jet in Saigon". Sarasota Herald Tribune. Associated Press. 3 July 1972. p. 1A, 8A.
^ ^a ^b Brendan L. Koerner (15 June 2013). The Skies Belong to Us: Love and Terror in the Golden Age of Hijacking (2013 ed.). Crown Publishers. p. 183. ISBN 978-0-307-88610-1. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
^ Paul Montgomery (3 July 1972). "Hijacker Killed in Saigon; Tried to Divert Jet to Hanoi". The New York Times. p. 1.
^ "Pilot Tells of Foiling Viet Hijack". Chicago Tribune. 3 July 1972. p. 3. Retrieved 2 April 2016.
^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyRI_F84V-o tfs sinh vien Nguyen Thai Binh nguyen hoang ps (Vietnamese)
^ ^a ^b "Pilot urges death penalty to curb hijackings". The Bulletin (Bend, OR). UPI. 7 July 1972.
^ "Death Threat". Kansas City Times. Associated Press. 6 July 1972. p. 10A.
^ Vaughn Elliott, Janet (2005). "Pan Am Hijacking in 1972". On the Wings of Giants (Pan Am Documentary Project). Io Communications. Retrieved 2 April 2016.
^ ^a ^b Guide to the Binh Memorial Committee Records, University of Washington Libraries
^ "Nguyen Thai Binh street, Ho Chi Minh City". Archived from the original on 18 April 2016. Retrieved 2 April 2016.

External links

Incident information at Aviation Safety Network

[Slate-1] Brendan Koerner (18 June 2013). "Nguyen Thai Binh picked the wrong plane to hijack". Slate Magazine.

[AP-2] "Air Pirate Slain on Jet in Saigon". Sarasota Herald Tribune. Associated Press. 3 July 1972. p. 1A, 8A.

[Koerner-3] Brendan L. Koerner (15 June 2013). The Skies Belong to Us: Love and Terror in the Golden Age of Hijacking (2013 ed.). Crown Publishers. p. 183. ISBN 978-0-307-88610-1. Retrieved 30 March 2016.

[4] Paul Montgomery (3 July 1972). "Hijacker Killed in Saigon; Tried to Divert Jet to Hanoi". The New York Times. p. 1.

[Trib-5] "Pilot Tells of Foiling Viet Hijack". Chicago Tribune. 3 July 1972. p. 3. Retrieved 2 April 2016.

[6] ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyRI_F84V-o tfs sinh vien Nguyen Thai Binh nguyen hoang ps (Vietnamese)

[bulletin-7] "Pilot urges death penalty to curb hijackings". The Bulletin (Bend, OR). UPI. 7 July 1972.

[8] "Death Threat". Kansas City Times. Associated Press. 6 July 1972. p. 10A.

[IoComm-9] Vaughn Elliott, Janet (2005). "Pan Am Hijacking in 1972". On the Wings of Giants (Pan Am Documentary Project). Io Communications. Retrieved 2 April 2016.

[UWlib-10] Guide to the Binh Memorial Committee Records, University of Washington Libraries

[11] "Nguyen Thai Binh street, Ho Chi Minh City". Archived from the original on 18 April 2016. Retrieved 2 April 2016.

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|1972 airliner hijacking}}
 {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2016}}
 {{Infobox aircraft occurrence
-|occurrence_type = Hijacking
+| occurrence_type = Hijacking
-|name = Pan Am Flight 841
+| name            = Pan Am Flight 841
-|image = File:Boeing 747-121(A-SF), Pan American World Airways - Pan Am AN0480261.jpg
+| image           = File:Boeing 747-121(A-SF), Pan American World Airways - Pan Am AN0480261.jpg
-|caption = Boeing 747-100, similar to the one hijacked
+| caption         = Boeing 747-100, similar to the one hijacked
-|date = {{start date|df=y|1972|7|2}}
+| date            = {{start date and age|1972|07|02|df=y}}
-|type = [[Aircraft hijacking|Hijacking]]
+| type            = [[Aircraft hijacking|Hijacking]]
-|site = [[Tan Son Nhut Air Base]]
+| site            = [[Tan Son Nhut Air Base]]
-|passengers = 136
+| passengers      = 136
-|crew = 17
+| crew            = 17
-|fatalities=1 (hijacker)
+| fatalities      = 1 (hijacker)
-|survivors = 152
+| survivors       = 152
-|aircraft_type = [[Boeing 747]]
+| aircraft_type   = [[Boeing 747-121]]
-|operator = [[Pan American World Airways]]
+| operator        = [[Pan American World Airways]]
-|tail_number =
+| tail_number     =
-|origin = [[San Francisco International Airport]]
+| origin          = [[San Francisco International Airport]]
+| stopover0       = [[Daniel K. Inouye International Airport|Honolulu (Daniel K. Inouye) International Airport]]
-|destination = [[Tan Son Nhut Air Base]]
+| stopover1       = [[Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport|Guam (Antonio Won Pat) International Airport]]
+| last_stopover   = [[Ninoy Aquino International Airport|Manila (Ninoy Aquino) International Airport]]
+| destination     = [[Tan Son Nhut Air Base]]
 }}
+{{History of Hồ Chí Minh City}}
-'''Pan Am Flight 841''' was a commercial passenger flight of a [[Boeing 747]] from [[San Francisco]], California to [[Saigon]], South Vietnam which was [[Aircraft hijacking|hijacked]] over the South China Sea on 2 July 1972, ostensibly as an act of protest concerning US involvement in the [[Vietnam War]] as well as the expulsion from the United States of the South Vietnamese hijacker, a recent graduate of a US university. The hijacking ended when the captain and passengers overcame and killed the lone hijacker after the plane landed in Saigon.
+'''Pan Am Flight 841''' was a commercial passenger flight of a [[Boeing 747]] from [[San Francisco]], California to [[Saigon]], South Vietnam which was [[Aircraft hijacking|hijacked]] over the South China Sea on 2 July 1972, ostensibly as an act of protest concerning United States involvement in the [[Vietnam War]] as well as the expulsion from the U.S. of the South Vietnamese hijacker, a recent graduate of a U.S. university. The hijacking ended when the captain and passengers overcame and killed the lone hijacker after the plane landed at [[Tan Son Nhut Airport]] in Saigon.
 ==Flight==
-PA841 was a scheduled [[Pan Am]] commercial passenger flight, on a Boeing 747, which departed from San Francisco on 2 July 1972 destined for Saigon with stops at [[Honolulu]], [[Guam]] and [[Manila]].<ref name=Slate>{{cite web|author=Brendan Koerner|date=18 June 2013|url=http://www.slate.com/articles/life/history/features/2013/skyjacker_of_the_day/nguyen_thai_binh_picked_the_wrong_plane_to_hijack.html|title=Nguyen Thai Binh picked the wrong plane to hijack.|work=Slate Magazine}}</ref><ref name=AP>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1755&dat=19720703&id=ELEqAAAAIBAJ&sjid=k2YEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5539,966104&hl=en|agency=[[Associated Press]]|date=3 July 1972|title=Air Pirate Slain on Jet in Saigon|work=Sarasota Herald Tribune|page=1A, 8A}}</ref><ref name=Koerner>{{cite book|author1=Brendan L. Koerner|title=The Skies Belong to Us: Love and Terror in the Golden Age of Hijacking|publisher=Crown Publishers|page=183|edition=2013|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jfhIZxI0ynMC&lpg=PA183&dq=%22A%20lot%20of%20time%22%20%20hijackings%20Koerner&pg=PA185#v=onepage&q=%22A%20lot%20of%20time%22%20%20hijackings%20Koerner&f=false|ISBN=978-0-307-88610-1|accessdate=30 March 2016}}</ref>
+PA841 was a scheduled [[Pan Am]] commercial passenger flight, on a Boeing 747, which departed from San Francisco on 2 July 1972 destined for Saigon with stops at [[Honolulu]], [[Guam]] and [[Manila]].<ref name=Slate>{{cite web|author=Brendan Koerner|date=18 June 2013|url=http://www.slate.com/articles/life/history/features/2013/skyjacker_of_the_day/nguyen_thai_binh_picked_the_wrong_plane_to_hijack.html|title=Nguyen Thai Binh picked the wrong plane to hijack.|work=Slate Magazine}}</ref><ref name=AP>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1755&dat=19720703&id=ELEqAAAAIBAJ&pg=5539,966104&hl=en|agency=[[Associated Press]]|date=3 July 1972|title=Air Pirate Slain on Jet in Saigon|work=Sarasota Herald Tribune|page=1A, 8A}}</ref><ref name=Koerner>{{cite book|author1=Brendan L. Koerner|title=The Skies Belong to Us: Love and Terror in the Golden Age of Hijacking|date=15 June 2013|publisher=Crown Publishers|page=183|edition=2013|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jfhIZxI0ynMC&q=%22A+lot+of+time%22++hijackings+Koerner&pg=PA185|isbn=978-0-307-88610-1|accessdate=30 March 2016}}</ref>
-About 45 minutes after the plane departed Manila with 153 passengers and crew aboard for the final leg of its trip to Saigon, a 24-year-old South Vietnamese native, '''Nguyen Thai Binh''', passed a note to a flight attendant that stated in English, "You are going to fly me to Hanoi and this airplane will be destroyed when we get there." Binh, who claimed to be North Vietnamese, also took another flight attendant hostage. The note was conveyed to the flight's 53-year-old captain, Eugene Vaughn.
+About 45 minutes after the plane departed Manila with 153 passengers and crew aboard for the final leg of its trip to Saigon, a 24-year-old South Vietnamese native, '''[[:vi:Nguyễn Thái Bình|Nguyễn Thái Bình]]''', passed a note to a flight attendant that stated in English, "You are going to fly me to [[Hanoi]] and this airplane will be destroyed when we get there." Bình, who claimed to be [[North Vietnam]]ese, also took another flight attendant hostage. The note was conveyed to the flight's 53-year-old captain, Eugene Vaughn. Bình had graduated from the [[University of Washington]] on 10 June 1972 with a [[bachelor's degree]] in [[fisheries management]] after attending from 1968 to 1971 on a [[USAID]] scholarship. An activist opposed to U.S. involvement in the [[Vietnam War]], Bình had been arrested for occupying the South Vietnamese consulate in New York; his visa was revoked on 7 June and he was expelled from the U.S.. Bình, who boarded the flight in Honolulu, ostensibly decided to hijack his flight home as an "act of revenge".<ref name=Slate />
-Binh had graduated from the [[University of Washington]] on 10 June 1972 with a [[bachelor's degree]] in [[fisheries management]] after attending from 1968 to 1971 on a [[USAID]] scholarship. An activist opposed to US actions during the [[Vietnam War]], Binh had been arrested for occupying the South Vietnamese consulate in New York; his visa was revoked on 7 June and he was expelled from the US.  Binh, who boarded the flight in Honolulu, ostensibly decided to hijack his flight home as an "act of revenge".<ref name=Slate />
-When Captain Vaughn refused to reroute the flight from Saigon to Hanoi, Binh wrote a second note spattered with his own blood. The second note read "This indicates how serious I am about being taken to Hanoi."  Vaughn confronted Binh in the cabin and observed a foil-wrapped package that Binh said contained a bomb. Binh was also armed with a long knife.  Vaughn also spoke with another passenger on the flight whom he knew to be a retired Richmond, California police officer, advising him that he might require his assistance to overcome the hijacker and returning the officer's gun that had been stored in the cockpit for safekeeping during the flight.<ref name=AP />
+When Vaughn refused to reroute the flight from Saigon to Hanoi, Bình wrote a second note spattered with his own blood. The second note read "This indicates how serious I am about being taken to Hanoi." Vaughn confronted Bình in the cabin and observed a foil-wrapped package that Bình said contained a bomb. Bình was also armed with a long knife. Vaughn also spoke with another passenger on the flight, W.H. Mills, whom he knew to be a retired San Francisco police officer, advising him that he might require his assistance to overcome the hijacker and returning the officer's .357 magnum handgun that had been stored in the cockpit for safekeeping during the flight.<ref name=AP /><ref>{{cite news|newspaper=The New York Times|title=Hijacker Killed in Saigon; Tried to Divert Jet to Hanoi|author=Paul Montgomery|date=3 July 1972|page=1}}</ref>
-Vaughn landed at Saigon's [[Tan Son Nhut Air Base]] under the pretext of needing to refuel the aircraft. After landing, Vaughn walked back to the cabin to speak with the hijacker again. Binh, highly agitated, threatened to detonate his bomb unless the aircraft immediately departed for Hanoi. Claiming to have trouble understanding Binh's speech, Vaughn encouraged Binh to lean closer. When he did so, Vaughn restrained Binh in a choke hold and he and two passengers knocked the package from Binh's hand and pinned him to the floor. Vaughn signalled the retired police officer, who shot Binh five times, killing him. Vaughn then carried Binh's body to the rear exit of the aircraft and threw it onto the tarmac.
+Vaughn landed at Saigon's [[Tan Son Nhut Airport]] under the pretext of needing to refuel the aircraft. After landing, Vaughn walked back to the cabin to speak with the hijacker again. Bình, highly agitated, threatened to detonate his bomb unless the aircraft immediately departed for Hanoi. Claiming to have trouble understanding Bình's speech, Vaughn encouraged Bình to lean closer. When he did so, Vaughn restrained Bình in a choke hold and he and two passengers knocked the package from Bình's hand and pinned him to the floor. Vaughn signalled Mills, who shot Bình five times, killing him. Vaughn then carried Bình's body to the rear exit of the aircraft and threw it onto the tarmac. The 135 surviving passengers and 17 crew members evacuated the aircraft. The only reported injury other than the death of the hijacker was that of a U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel, a passenger on the flight, who broke his leg exiting via the inflated evacuation chute.<ref name=AP /> The plane took off hours later for Hong Kong to have its evacuation gear repaired.
-The 135 surviving passengers and 17 crew members evacuated the aircraft. The only reported injury other than the death of the hijacker was that of a US Air Force lieutenant colonel, a passenger on the flight, who broke his leg exiting via the inflated evacuation chute.<ref name=AP /> The plane took off hours later for Hong Kong to have its evacuation gear repaired.
 ==Aftermath==
+Vaughn reported that he had guessed (correctly) that Bình was bluffing. The foil-wrapped package actually contained lemons.<ref name="Trib">{{cite news|title=Pilot Tells of Foiling Viet Hijack|url=http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1972/07/03/page/3/article/pilot-tells-of-foiling-viet-hijack|accessdate=2 April 2016|work=[[Chicago Tribune]]|date=3 July 1972|page=3}}</ref>
+Many [[Opposition to United States involvement in the Vietnam War|U.S. anti-war protesters]] viewed Bình as a martyr for their cause,<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyRI_F84V-o tfs sinh vien Nguyen Thai Binh nguyen hoang ps (Vietnamese)</ref> and shortly after the incident a break-in occurred at Vaughn's home in [[Scottsdale, Arizona]], with "animal intestines, paint and broken bottles" thrown into his swimming pool.<ref name=bulletin/> The protesters also left a note, apparently written in animal blood: "Pig Eugene Vaughn guilty of murder. To be punished later. Long live Nguyễn Thái Bình. Victory to the Vietnamese. Death to the American aggressor."<ref>{{cite news|work=Kansas City Times|date=6 July 1972|title=Death Threat|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/51427758/|agency=Associated Press|page=10A}}</ref> However, Vaughn was also lauded as a hero who acted to save his passengers, craft and crew, and his actions were described as an expression of frustration with the many hijackings that occurred during the period. Vaughn was quoted as saying, at an event to honor him at the Phoenix airport on his return to the United States, "A lot of time and effort has been spent on trying to prevent hijackings, but the only thing that will be effective is a mandatory death penalty, without any loopholes."<ref name=bulletin>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1243&dat=19720707&id=tgg0AAAAIBAJ&pg=4769,6642778&hl=en|date=7 July 1972|agency=[[UPI]]|work=The Bulletin (Bend, OR)|title=Pilot urges death penalty to curb hijackings}}</ref><ref name=Slate /><ref name=Koerner />  Vaughn retired from Pan Am in 1979 after 38 years with the airline, and died of cancer in 1984; both of his sons became airline pilots.<ref name="IoComm">{{cite web|year=2005|url=http://www.panamdoc.com/advenstories/advenstor013.html|last1=Vaughn Elliott|first1=Janet|title=Pan Am Hijacking in 1972|website=On the Wings of Giants (Pan Am Documentary Project)|publisher=Io Communications|accessdate=2 April 2016}}</ref>
-Vaughn reported that he had guessed (correctly) that Binh was bluffing. The foil-wrapped package actually contained lemons.<ref name="Trib">{{cite news|title=Pilot Tells of Foiling Viet Hijack|url=http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1972/07/03/page/3/article/pilot-tells-of-foiling-viet-hijack|accessdate=2 April 2016|work=[[Chicago Tribune]]|date=3 July 1972|page=3}}</ref> The retired police officer who killed the hijacker was never publicly identified.
+Bình's friends in the US established a collection in 1974 at the University of Washington library, containing papers about Bình's life and protest activities.<ref name=UWlib>[http://digital.lib.washington.edu/findingaids/view?docId=BinhMemorialCommitteeSeattleWash2242.xml Guide to the Binh Memorial Committee Records], University of Washington Libraries</ref> Among those involved in establishing the collection were noted clergyman and peace activist [[William Sloane Coffin]] and academic and author [[Bruce E. Johansen]].<ref name=UWlib /> A street is named for Bình in present-day [[Ho Chi Minh City]], honoring him as a hero of the 1970s anti-colonial movement in Vietnam.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hcmc.com/streets/nguyen-thai-binh|title=Nguyen Thai Binh street, Ho Chi Minh City|publisher=|accessdate=2 April 2016|archive-date=18 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160418120230/http://www.hcmc.com/streets/nguyen-thai-binh|url-status=dead}}</ref>
-Many US [[Anti-war movement|anti-war protesters]] viewed Binh as a martyr for their cause,<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyRI_F84V-o tfs sinh vien Nguyen Thai Binh nguyen hoang ps (Vietnamese)</ref> and shortly after the incident a break-in occurred at Vaughn's home in [[Scottsdale, Arizona]], with "animal intestines, paint and broken bottles" thrown into his swimming pool.<ref name=bulletin/> The protesters also left a note, apparently written in animal blood: "Pig Eugene Vaughn guilty of murder. To be punished later. Long live Nguyen Thai Binh. Victory to the Vietnamese. Death to the American aggressor."<ref>{{cite news|work=Kansas City Times|date=6 July 1972|title=Death Threat|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/51427758/|agency=Associated Press|page=10A}}</ref> However, Vaughn was also lauded as a hero who acted to save his passengers, craft and crew, and his actions were described as an expression of frustration with the many hijackings that occurred during the period.  Vaughn was quoted as saying, at an event to honor him at the Phoenix airport on his return to the United States, "A lot of time and effort has been spent on trying to prevent hijackings, but the only thing that will be effective is a mandatory death penalty, without any loopholes."<ref name=bulletin>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1243&dat=19720707&id=tgg0AAAAIBAJ&sjid=v_cDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4769,6642778&hl=en|date=7 July 1972|agency=[[UPI]]|work=The Bulletin (Bend, OR)|title=Pilot urges death penalty to curb hijackings}}</ref><ref name=Slate /><ref name=Koerner />  Vaughn retired from Pan Am in 1979 after 38 years with the airline, and died of cancer in 1984; both of his sons became airline pilots.<ref name="IoComm">{{cite web|year=2005|url=http://www.panamdoc.com/advenstories/advenstor013.html|last1=Vaughn Elliott|first1=Janet|title=Pan Am Hijacking in 1972|website=On the Wings of Giants (Pan Am Documentary Project)|publisher=Io Communications|accessdate=2 April 2016}}</ref>
-Binh's friends in the US established a collection in 1974 at the University of Washington library, containing papers about Binh's life and protest activities.<ref name=UWlib>[http://digital.lib.washington.edu/findingaids/view?docId=BinhMemorialCommitteeSeattleWash2242.xml Guide to the Binh Memorial Committee Records], University of Washington Libraries</ref>  Among those involved in establishing the collection were noted clergyman and peace activist [[William Sloane Coffin]] and academic and author [[Bruce E. Johansen]].<ref name=UWlib />  A street is named for Binh in present-day [[Ho Chi Minh City]], honoring him as a hero of the 1970s anti-colonial movement in Vietnam.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hcmc.com/streets/nguyen-thai-binh|title=Nguyen Thai Binh street, Ho Chi Minh City|publisher=|accessdate=2 April 2016}}</ref>
-==1975 evacuation of Saigon==
-On 24 April 1975, after the formal withdrawal of US troops from Vietnam in June 1973, ''Clipper Unity'' N653PA, a [[Boeing 747-121]] aircraft then operating as Pan Am Flight 841<ref>http://www.airfleets.net/flightlog/index.php?file=result&app=b747&msn=20348</ref> and commanded by Captain Bob Berg, was among those involved in the evacuation of Saigon just before the closure of that city's airport to western carriers. It ultimately became a [[US Air Force]] [[mercy flight]], redesignated as Special Air Mission 1965/31 Evacuation Charter MNL/SGN/MNL.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://clippercrew.com/last-flight-from-saigon/|title=Last Flight From Saigon|author=Val Lester|date=1995|work=Clipper Crew|accessdate=30 April 2016}}</ref>  A fictionalized account of the evacuation flight was presented in the 1990 TV movie ''Last Flight Out'' starring [[Richard Crenna]], [[James Earl Jones]] and [[Barry Corbin]].  The designation PA841 was subsequently retired.
 ==References==
@@ Line 48: / Line 46: @@
 ==External links==
 *[http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19720702-1 Incident information at Aviation Safety Network]
+{{Pan Am}}
 {{Aviation accidents and incidents in 1972|state=collapsed}}
+{{Aviation accidents and incidents in Vietnam}}
 [[Category:Aircraft hijackings]]
 [[Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in 1972]]
 [[Category:Accidents and incidents involving the Boeing 747]]
-[[Category:Pan American World Airways accidents and incidents|841]]
+[[Category:Pan Am accidents and incidents|841]]
 [[Category:July 1972 events in Asia]]
-[[Category:Saigon]]
+[[Category:Saigon in the Vietnam War]]
+[[Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in Vietnam]]
+[[Category:Hijackings in 1972]]
+[[Category:Opposition to United States involvement in the Vietnam War]]

v t e Aviation accidents and incidents in Vietnam
1960s	Flying Tiger Line Canadair CL-44 crash (December 1966) Kham Duc C-130 shootdown (May 1968)
1970s	Cathay Pacific Flight 700Z bombing (June 1972) Pan Am Flight 841 (July 1972) Air Vietnam Flight 706 (September 1974) Tân Sơn Nhứt C-5 accident (April 1975)
1990s	Vietnam Airlines Flight 850 (September 1992) Vietnam Airlines Flight 474 (November 1992)
This includes the former South Vietnam