THIS was the moment when a madman who came within seconds of causing a packed British Airways' jumbo jet to crash was finally overpowered yesterday.

North-East singer Bryan Ferry was among 379 passengers caught up in the terrifying ordeal on the flight from Gatwick to Nairobi.

The intruder, described as a tall, strong and hysterical mental patient, burst on to the flight deck and managed to disengage the auto-pilot as he struggled with Captain Will-iam Hagan, 53, and co-pilot Richard Webb, 35.

As passengers screamed in terror, the Boeing 747 plunged 10,000ft in a series of nose dives.

With another co-pilot, Phil Watson, 38, at the controls, the other two pilots managed to get the man - a Kenyan - into a business class compartment.

Some of the passengers, including a 6ft 6in American, helped wrestle the intruder to the ground and restrain him.

Capt Hagan, from Glasgow, whose wife and two children were on board, was bitten on the ear and finger in the struggle which also badly damaged one of the intruder's eyes.

Four passengers and one stewardess, who broke an ankle, were injured as the plane lurched around the sky.

Capt Hagan later told travellers that if the drama had lasted four or five seconds longer, the co-pilot would not have been able to regain control because the jet was about to flip onto its back. After landing at Nairobi, the intruder was arrested and the injured were taken to hospital.

Speaking from Nairobi, Capt Hagan said: "It happened very quickly. My first thought was for the safety of the aircraft and the passengers. We just did what we are trained to do.

"I'm very proud of my two first officers and cabin crew and I'm very grateful for the assistance from our passengers."

The drama, at 35,000ft, happened just before 5am UK time over Sudan. Flight BA2069 was carrying a mix of Kenyans returning home and Britons going on holiday. On board were Lady Annabel Goldsmith, widow of businessman Sir James Goldsmith, and her daughter Jemima Khan, wife of cricket star Imran Khan.

Lady Annabel's son Benjamin Goldsmith, who was also a passenger, said most people were asleep when the drama began. He said: "Suddenly the plane went into this violent, shuddering, dive, and everyone was woken up by the screaming of grown men."

BA said that the cockpit door was normally locked during take-off and landing but kept open during the flight.

Kieran Daly, editor of Internet news service Air Transport Intelligence, said: "There is only so much you can do - there never can be absolute guaranteed screening of all possible attackers."

Mr Daly said the cockpit door could not be locked as it would leave stewards and stewardesses vulnerable to attack from passengers on the other side.

Flight to terror - Page