Reginald Levy, the British pilot who flew a Sabena plane hijacked by Palestinian terrorists to Israel and whose actions helped save the passengers, has died.
He was 88.
Thirty eight years ago, Levy flew the Boeing 707 from Vienna, with a stopover in Brussels en route to Tel Aviv when it was hijacked by four Black
September terrorists who demanded Israel release prisoners.
For 23 hours the plane sat on the tarmac in Israel while officials negotiated with the hijackers.
Levy was sent by the terrorists to negotiate the terms for the hostages release with Israeli officials.
He told the Israelis the number of hijackers and their location on the plane. The Israelis informed Levy of their plan, to let the air out of the plane's tires and hamper the brake system.
Levy informed the hijackers the plane was unable to fly until repairs were made and then purposely stalled for time by slowly reading out a list of
prisoners to be freed in the exchange, allowing the Israelis to execute the rescue plan.
Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak were among the Israeli commandos who posed as plane technicians, and stormed the plane on May 9, 1972. Two hijackers were killed and two hijackers captured. All 140 passengers were rescued.
Levy's actions placed the family in jeopardy and threats from Black September activists forced the family to move around.
Levy's daughter Linda Lipschitz told United Press International shortly before her father died, he received a letter from Israeli President Shimon
Peres wishing him well after he was diagnosed with cancer.
Lipschitz said her father suffered a fatal heart attack Sunday in Dover, England.
"I spoke to him the day before and he told me how touched he was to receive a letter from Shimon Peres," she said. He recently told her he has no
regrets and had a good life.
Levy is survived by children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, she said.