A FedEx employee was due to be fired for lying on his r‚sum‚ about his previous flying experience with the United States Navy. He took a jump seat on a regular flight from Memphis (MEM) to San Jose (SJC). He was intending to murder the flight crew with hammers and then to use the aircraft for a kamikaze attack on FedEx Headquarters in Memphis. He attacked just minutes after takeoff, brutally wounded the flight crew with hammers and fractured the skull of the first officer. A lengthy struggle ensued with the flight engineer and captain. The first officer managed to control the plane as the three others struggled in the cockpit. By means of extreme aerial manoeuvres meant to keep the attacker off balance, the flight crew eventually succeeded in restraining him. The DC-10 landed safely at Memphis International Airport despite the plane’s being loaded with fuel and too heavy to land under normal circumstances.