Federal Express Flight 705 Hijacking Incident, 1994

On April 7, 1994, Federal Express Flight 705, a McDonnell Douglas DC-10 cargo jet carrying electronics equipment across the United States from Memphis, Tennessee, to San Jose, California, was the subject of a hijack attempt by Auburn R. Calloway, a Federal Express employee facing possible dismissal for falsifying his flight hours. Calloway boarded the scheduled flight as a deadhead passenger carrying a guitar case concealing several hammers and a speargun. He planned to crash the aircraft hoping he would appear to be an employee killed in an accident, so his family could collect on a $2.5 million life insurance policy provided by Federal Express. Calloway tried to switch off the aircraft's cockpit voice recorder (CVR) before takeoff, but the flight engineer noticed and turned it back on, believing he had neglected to turn it on. Once airborne, he attempted to kill the crew with hammers so their injuries would appear consistent with an accident rather than a hijacking. Despite severe injuries, the crew fought back, subdued Calloway, and landed the aircraft safely. During his trial, the prosecution argued Calloway was trying to commit murder–suicide. Efforts by the defense team to put forward an insanity defense were ultimately unsuccessful and Calloway was convicted on federal charges of attempted murder and attempted aircraft piracy and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.