Passengers describe quick exit from National’s jet

Friday, July 28, 2000 | 11:16 a.m.

Las Vegas magician Aaron Olson wished he could have made himself disappear from a Boeing 757 at John F. Kennedy Airport.

"I do illusions, but this was no illusion," Olson said shortly after landing at McCarran International Airport this morning aboard a National Airlines jet that replaced the one that a gunman boarded Thursday night in New York. The gunman held two pilots hostage before surrendering peacefully five hours later.

"After I got off the plane, I stood behind a firetruck and watched the surreal scene in front of me."

Olson, a magician for Magic.com, an interactive magic website, was returning to Las Vegas from a business trip in New York.

He was one of 143 passengers who, along with the seven crew members, got off the plane safely after the gunman took the two pilots hostage. There were no injuries during the terrifying incident. The gunman, identified as Aaron Commey, 22, emerged peacefully from an empty plane early today, ending a five-hour standoff.

"I was in the back of the plane and did not see the gunman, but I saw a lot of other passengers coming my way," Olson said. "I said to my friend a couple rows in front of me, 'Dude, people are bailing off this plane.'

"I got up and thought about whether I should take my stuff and then I thought to myself what am I doing thinking about my carry-on bag during a hostage situation? I decided I should just get off this plane now."

Olson, who has lived in Las Vegas for five years, left behind the bag that contained his laptop computer, wallet and other personal effects and slid down an emergency chute to the runway. Olson said airline officials told him he should receive his carry-on bag sometime today.

Other passengers aboard National Airlines Flight 19 got dangerously close to the gunman.

"He walked by as close to me as I am standing to you," Lanny Taylor of Brooklyn, N.Y., said inches away from a Sun reporter.

"I saw him walk up the aisle with the gun in his hand, and I turned to my family and said 'Hey, this guy's got a gun,' " said Taylor, who was flying with several relatives including two small grandchildren.

"There was panic as people behind us started running out. The gunman told the flight attendants to lock the door, and they did. But these two guys (passengers) unlocked it and we all started running out, taking the flight attendants with us."

Olson and Taylor said police were on the scene immediately.

As the passengers ran out, SWAT members were running up to the plane, said Taylor, noting that he will be moving to Las Vegas soon.

"When I saw the guys with machine guns at first I didn't know they were police," Olson said. "All I could think of at that point was that incident in the Middle East where passengers were held aboard a plane for 12 days.

"When I realized they were the police, I was amazed at how quickly they had got to the scene."

Nick Almer, who flew to Las Vegas for a couple days of vacation, seemingly took it all in stride.

"I was on Aisle 15 when I saw this guy with a gun come aboard," he said matter of factly with a distinct New York accent. "Things like this happen -- you just deal with it. I'm grateful no one was hurt."

Passengers said they had to wait several hours for another available plane to bring them to Las Vegas.