On this day in 1980, a fire aboard a plane bound for Saudi
Arabia forces an emergency landing. The Saudi Airlines flight
began in Karachi, Pakistan, headed for Jidda, Saudi Arabia, with
a stopover in Riyadh. The first leg of the flight was
uneventful, and the Lockheed L-1011 took off from Riyadh with no
problems. Shortly after takeoff from Riyadh, however, the pilot
reported a fire onboard the plane and told air-traffic
controllers that he needed immediate clearance to head back to
the airport. The fire started while passengers onboard were
cooking with a portable butane stove. Apparently, this was not
unusual, as Middle Eastern airlines are often willing to
accommodate their Muslim passengers' needs to follow the strict
dietary laws of their religion. The pilot was able to land the
plane back at Riyadh safely and headed to the end of the runway
where a rescue crew was waiting. When the plane reached the end
of the runway, however, it burst into flames. The crew sprayed
fire-fighting foam at the fire, but it