1.
GV: Plane on tarmac.
0.03

2.
GV: Fire engines and rescue tenders on tarmac near Plane. (TWO SHOTS)
0.18

3.
GV: Aircraft refuelling
0.34

4.
GV NIGHT SCENES ZOOM IN: Police and officials at door of plane after storming.
0.45

5.
GV: Aircraft and police vehicles.
0.40

6.
SV: Injured man being treated in ambulance. (TWO SHOTS)
1.04

7.
GV: Police guarding aircraft.
1.09


Robert had previously made headlines when he took over a studio at Radio Luxembourg. Then he held a grenade to the announcer's head and rambled on about how society had wronged him. That announcer, Max Meynier, took part in the negotiations at Orly airport.




Initials JS/0210


EUROVISION TELERECORDING

Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: Anti-terrorist police stormed a hijacked French airliner at Paris' Orly airport on Friday night (30 September) and seized a gunman who had held 91 people hostage. One person died and several others were hurt one of them seriously - when the hijacker detonated a grenade during the assault.

SYNOPSIS: The plane was hijacked by a 43-year-old Frenchman, Jacques Robert. He told police he wanted to deliver a message to the French people. Robert already has a record of trying to invade radio stations and has served a prison sentence for the attempts.

He had seized the plane shortly after take off from Orly airport, on an internal flight to Lyons. He shot a stewardess in the arm as she tried to prevent the hijack. The plane landed back at Orly after buzzing Paris at low altitudes for more than an hour. Fight hours later the special police squad moved in. Police cars with flashing lights suddenly surrounded the plane.

They stormed the aircraft through the rear emergency door, using smoke bombs and tear gas. But police were unable to overpower the hijacker before he hurled his grenade towards the cockpit. The passengers quickly left the aircraft and Robert was taken into custody. The whole operation took only a few minutes.