Investigation Summary
The incident began approximately five minutes before the flight was scheduled to land at London Heathrow. Laurence James Downey, a 55-year-old Australian passenger, entered the lavatory, doused himself in petrol, and emerged claiming to possess cyanide gas. He entered the cockpit and ordered Captain Eddie Foyle to fly to Tehran. After being informed the Boeing 737 lacked the range for a direct flight to Iran, Downey agreed to land at Le Touquet – Côte d'Opale Airport in France for refueling. Upon landing in France, the Iranian government announced it would not permit the aircraft to land in Tehran. Downey then shifted his demands, focusing on his religious grievances. He demanded that the Irish press publish a nine-page statement concerning the Third Secret of Fatima, a classified Catholic prophecy. During the negotiations, Downey released 11 passengers, primarily women and children. The standoff concluded when French paratroopers used the diversion of an ambulance arriving for a sick woman to storm the aircraft through the rear and side doors. They overpowered Downey in the cockpit within seconds. It was subsequently discovered that Downey was unarmed, carrying only a bottle of water he had claimed was cyanide.
Final Conclusions
The hijacking was resolved through a successful tactical intervention by French special forces. Laurence James Downey was found to have a history of legal issues, including land fraud in Australia and assault in Ireland. In February 1983, a French court in Saint-Omer sentenced him to five years' imprisonment for air piracy. He was released after serving 18 months and returned to Australia. The Vatican eventually released the official text of the Third Secret of Fátima in June 2000, long after the incident.
Video Analysis
Australian Monk Hijacks Irish Plane, 1981 — Archival RTÉ News footage from May 1981 covering the hijacking of Aer Lingus Flight 164, featuring interviews with passengers, crew, and Minister Albert Reynolds.
If playback is blocked, the owner has disabled embedding — use the link above.
Systems & Failure Modes
Cockpit Security
In 1981, cockpit doors were not reinforced or locked as they are in the post-9/11 era, allowing the hijacker easy access to the flight deck.
Airport Security Screening
The hijacker successfully smuggled petrol onto the aircraft; authorities noted that liquid petrol does not trigger traditional metal detectors or scanners.
Interesting Facts
- 01The hijacker was a former Trappist monk who had been expelled from his order for punching a superior.
- 02Downey was sought by Australian police for a $70,000 land fraud at the time of the hijacking.
- 03The hijacker claimed to have cyanide, but was actually carrying a bottle of water.
- 04The aircraft involved, EI-ASD, was named 'St. Ita / Íde'.
- 05Future Irish Taoiseach Albert Reynolds, then Minister for Transport, flew to France to coordinate the response.
Safety Actions & Advisories
Security Protocol Review
The incident highlighted the vulnerability of aircraft to liquid-based threats and the ease of cockpit access, contributing to long-term global discussions on aviation security.