Hijacking comes and goes as a fashion among terrorists. It is probablysomething that most travellers will think about at some time - to some it may be a vague anxiety; to others, part of a Rambo-style daydream. Anyone who worries about it a great deal is likely to be too nervous to be a regular traveller.

The most important thing is not to worry about it. The whole point of terrorism is to create a fear completely out of proportion to the risk - to get the maximum effect for the minimum effort. Don't give them that victory. Think about the huge number of trouble-free flights every day. It's very unlikely to happen to you.

However, it sometimes does. It happened to me on 5 September 1986, when four Palestinian terrorists stormed a Pan Am 747 on the ground at Karachi airport, Pakistan. All hijackings are likely to be different (the security forces try to bolt all the stable doors, so the successful terrorist will have to do something original) but there are some points which could be useful in any such situation. Armed men ran up the steps and took over the cabins as the last passengers were boarding. Accept that you will not react very fast in this situation, nor should you. Civilians are usually stunned by violence, or the threat of it, because it is so shocking. If you do have an opportunity to escape at this point, make sure that it is a clear and safe one - the terrorists are also very hyped-up, and are most likely to shoot you. It may be better to wait a while.

You will need to get control of yourself. If fear takes over, you will not be able to do anything useful if an opportunity presents itself. Everyone has to fight their own battle in their own head. I started by thinking that some people usually escape hijacks, and I saw no reason why I should not be included. I admit that I took comfort from the fact that there were Americans aboard. Since Ronald Reagan had ordered the bombing of Libya, they had to be more unpopular than the British - not much, but a bit.

Make yourself inconspicuous. It is generally fatal to be memorable: if the terrorists single someone out, it is usually to shoot them. Don't volunteer for anything, even if you think you might ingratiate yourself with them. Keep your head down. Don't catch their eyes. I was wearing a red duvet jacket, which was a bad start, but I knocked my Panama hat off my head with my raised hands, and sank into the seat as far as possible.

Do what they say, within reason. I would not co-operate to the extent of joining them (as happened in a famous Stockholm siege), but if they say, "Hands up, no moving", do it. We all sat in silence with our hands above our heads, looking into our laps.

There is a problem here. Two terrorists kept about 350 passengers completely quiet for the whole day. No one dared to look round. They could have gone away for a cup of tea and come back in half an hour, and we would still have been in our seats - no one would have looked round, for fear that a terrorist was standing right behind them. If you can, you want to get as much information as possible about the number of terrorists, weapons and position, but you are safer taking no risks.

The pilots escaped right at the beginning, so we were stuck on the ground - a great relief. We sat with our hands in the air for the first three hours of the siege. I was beginning to think it would really be all right when one of the flight attendants came around collecting passports. If you can avoid giving your papers in, do - they become a means of singling you out. Take any opportunity to dispose of anything which might be 'incriminating' in the mind of the terrorist. Of course, if you have a wholly 'terrorist-credible' nationality, it matters less, but I heard one of them venting his hatred for "all Westerners". He listed practically every nation, including the Spanish. I didn't think the Spanish had ever done anything to offend anyone. These people are indoctrinated.

The flight attendant knew that American passports were what the terrorists were after, so she dropped them all under the seats as she went. This was very brave and quite proper, but it promoted the British as second most unpopular nation. My passport was picked out, and I was summoned to the front of the plane. I didn't think that it would be possible to play hide-and-seek, so I went.

Controlling fear at this point is an entirely different exercise. I went from thinking, "Some people always get off," to "Someone always gets shot." Dealing with the expectation of imminent death must be very personal. I started with blind panic; I moved on to prayer, but felt very hypocritical ("Er, God, remember me? I haven't been good at keeping in touch, but could you ..."); I made some promises to God in case he was listening, but only ones that I felt I could keep (and I did). What seemed to work best was to think of all my family and friends in turn, and to say goodbye to them. I thought about the mountaineering expedition I had just completed, and what a good time it had been. I settled in my mind any arguments I had with my friends so that the sun would not go down on my anger. I also determined that I was not going to die frightened - if they wanted to shoot me, I would stiffen my upper lip, shake them by the hand, and tell them to make a decent job of it. I doubt if I could have done it, but I felt better for the intention.

They kept me at the front of the plane for twelve hours or so, thinking about shooting me to emphasise some particular demand. I think it is important to retain your dignity - begging would not have helped, nor would offering bribes or assistance. You don't have anything they need. To them, you are simply a piece of breathing merchandise, to be traded or cashed in. If you can obtain their sympathy, or in some way turn yourself into a human being, try it - but don't speak unless spoken to, and don't irritate them. They may be trigger happy. I think that the sight of me praying, and my calm acceptance (after a while) of my situation may have impressed them. As the day went on, it became harder for them to shoot me.

I thought about telling them that I was Irish, and a fervent supporter of the IRA, but I doubt if it would have helped. If they know enough for it to benefit you, they will also probably know enough to see through it. They asked me if I was a soldier, and I guessed that it was important to say "No". I gave 'teacher' as a neutral occupation - after all, no one admits to being a chartered accountant. When asked later if I liked "Mogret Thotcher", I was able to give the required answer with conviction. It would have been more difficult if they had asked me to say something I really disagreed with (perhaps in a statement to those outside) - but it might seem safest to go along with them, and it might be extremely dangerous to do anything else. However, you may need to keep your self-respect to avoid mental collapse, and you may need to keep their respect as well. I am glad I did not have this test.

You must not raise your expectations of release. Set long horizons. Disappointment could be crushing. This was easy for me, as I was convinced I was not getting out anyway. You should ignore any information given to you by the terrorists. Remember that the authorities are the 'good guys', and they will be trying hard to get you out, but they cannot give in - if they do, there will be another plane-load of passengers in your situation the following week, and the week after. Hostages are sometimes convinced by their captors that the authorities are being uncooperative, that it is all the authorities' fault: hold on to reality. They aren't, and it isn't.

Make yourself as comfortable as possible. It might be a long stay. Massage your joints, if you are allowed to. Stretch whatever you can. Clench your fingers and toes to keep the blood moving. Any movement will stop you seizing up, and will give you something to do. It can be very boring. Any exercise for the mind is also useful - you do not want to dwell on the nastier possibilities of the position. Remembering favourite pieces of writing, picturing peaceful scenes, daydreaming - all help.

Back in economy, the passengers enjoyed a slightly more relaxed atmosphere for a while. Afterwards I met two who spent the afternoon playing cards. Anything which passes the time is useful. It also helps to exchange names, addresses and messages for next-of-kin.

Take advantage of any opportunity you get to do anything that may make you more comfortable or safe - get a more inconspicuous seat, go to the toilet, eat or drink. You don't know whether you will get another chance for days. However, you should probably not take advantage of an opportunity to make yourself a hero. You will probably get killed, and will also cause the deaths of a number of others.

Movies are unrealistic. A large man with a Kalashnikov is very hard to take on with your bare hands; a man holding a grenade in his hand with the pin between his teeth cannot be overpowered, unless you want a posthumous medal for bravery. In case you are wondering, you can't put the pin back in once he's dropped the grenade. It will explode.

The most important piece of advice is to be ready to get out if the opportunity comes. Some experienced travellers think it's 'cool' to sleep through the safety announcements. It's more cool to know where the doors are, and to be sure how to open them. Think through the quickest way out, and have alternatives ready in case your exit is blocked. Think about how far down it is, and know about pulling the red handle if the chute does not come down. Remember that all this takes time, and that it will not be possible to get out of a door in the time that one of your captors has his back turned.

After twelve hours, they put me back with the rest of the passengers. The lights went out because the generator had broken down. I could feel the tension increasing, and crouched as low as possible in my seat. For a reason that has never been established, they started shooting at random in the darkness, and throwing hand- grenades about. Some of the passengers decided that they had had enough, and opened the emergency doors. The man in the next seat told me to keep down, but I was not staying - the plane had been refuelled for an eight-hour flight. I pushed him in front of me towards one of the doors ... I was out on the wing, looking for a way down ... the chute had not come out automatically ... I'm afraid of heights, but I jumped off the back of the wing without much hesitation (about two storeys up but still the lowest point) and ran away. Many people were hurt jumping off the wings because they had taken their shoes off to make themselves comfortable. Be ready, and move quickly.

It was a bloody event, with more than twenty dead and over a hundred injured. I was very lucky to escape with a scratched elbow. But I was very unlucky to be hijacked in the first place - it won't happen to you.