Language Barrier

In February this year a 747 pilot earned himself top marks for quick thinking and composure. Cpt Ahmedou Lemine was flying a jumbo jet from Mauritania when an armed hijacker burst into the cockpit, to the crew's horror 32 year old Mohamed Abderraman began making demands and threatening the safety of the flight. Cpt Lemine feared that a terrorist incident was about to unfold. However, he soon realised that the hijacker, unlike most Mauritanians, didn't speak French. He then made an announcement on the PA in French telling the passengers what was going on, to remain calm and that he had a plan.

It went like clockwork. As the plane touched down at Gran Canaria Cpt Lemine slammed on the bakes and then accelerated hard, the hijacker, being the only person on board not expecting this, was thrown to the floor and dropped his gun, a waiting stewardess threw boiling water over him and ten waiting men leapt on him. Hapless Mr Abderraman is now in custody.