Captain Uri Bar-Lev, a retired El Al pilot who made aviation history as the only pilot to successfully thwart an in-air hijacking, will celebrate his 93rd birthday this Friday.
In 1948, as a teenage pilot during Israel’s War of Independence, Captain Bar-Lev flew for the military before joining Israel’s national airline. On September 6, 1970, he piloted El Al Flight 219 from Tel Aviv to New York via Amsterdam when two hijackers threatened the crew and passengers.
Demonstrating remarkable skill and bravery, Captain Bar-Lev executed a maneuver similar to the WWII “Split S” combat move, effectively preventing the hijacking. He initiated a dive to lower the plane’s altitude, minimizing potential explosion impact. The sudden descent caught the hijackers off guard, causing them to lose their footing.
An air marshal swiftly neutralized one hijacker, while the other lost consciousness due to the dramatic shift in air pressure. Bar-Lev’s heroic actions saved the lives of those on board and prevented a potential disaster.
Last week, he was reunited with a passenger from the historic flight, as seen in this photo (Captain Bar-Lev is on the right). “Amit was a 9-year-old passenger on my El Al plane in 1970. 54 years later, we were reunited. Lives well-lived are the best revenge.”
