The person at the center of this case
Western Airlines Flight 701 passengers and crew
Cold Case · Open
54 years waiting · since 1972
CATHERINE MARIE KERKOW
Justice for Western Airlines Flight 701 passengers and crew — the trail went cold in 1972, but the truth hasn't.
Start here
Key leads to think about
👤
person
Lead #1Where has Catherine Marie Kerkow been since her arrest in France in 1975, and how did she evade extradition?
📍
location
Lead #2What connections does Kerkow have to Oregon, Switzerland, Jordan, and Cuba that authorities believe warrant investigation?
🎯
suspect
Lead #3Who was Kerkow's accomplice in the hijacking, and what information did they provide about her whereabouts?
On June 3, 1972, Catherine Marie Kerkow and an accomplice hijacked Western Airlines Flight 701 from Los Angeles to Seattle, claiming to have a bomb and demanding $500,000. After releasing 97 passengers in San Francisco, the two fled to Algeria where they received political asylum. Kerkow's current whereabouts remain unknown despite a federal arrest warrant issued in 1972, though her accomplice was eventually extradited to the United States.
Case
#677
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York
Try asking
Claim this imported case
A one-time $10 claim transfers this imported case workspace to your account. You get 10 uploads for this case, 25 daily AI questions for this case, and public tips with files route to you.
10 uploads25 AI questions/day
This does not start a subscription. When the included limits are reached, the Personal plan unlocks more workspace capacity.
More leads to consider
Beyond the top three above — each detail below could be the thread that pulls this case open.
🔍
evidence
Lead #4What intelligence exists about Kerkow's use of fake passports and ability to travel internationally?
Have information about any of these leads?
Even the smallest detail could be the key to solving this case.
Official wording
Source Narrative
Air Piracy Caution: Catherine Marie Kerkow is wanted for her alleged involvement in the hijacking of Western Airlines Flight 701 which was to fly from Los Angeles, California, to Seattle, Washington, on June 3, 1972. A member of the Black Panthers, Kerkow and an accomplice claimed they had a bomb in an attache case and demanded $500,000.
After allowing the 97 passengers to get off the plane in San Francisco, California, Kerkow and her accomplice flew to Algeria where they were granted political asylum. On January 25, 1975, the two hijackers, using fake passports, were arrested on illegal entry charges in France.
Kerkow's accomplice was eventually extradited to the United States, but Kerkow's whereabouts remain unknown. A federal arrest warrant was issued for Kerkow in the United States District Court, Eastern District of New York, on June 5, 1972, after she was charged with air piracy.
Remarks: Kerkow is known to speak English and French. She may have ties to Oregon, France, Switzerland, Algeria, Jordan, and Cuba.
Timeline of Events
👤
1972-06-03
Western Airlines Flight 701 hijacking
Kerkow and accomplice hijacked Flight 701 from Los Angeles claiming to have a bomb and demanding $500,000
📍
1972-06-03
Passengers released in San Francisco
97 passengers were allowed to disembark at San Francisco International Airport
🕵️
1972-06-05
Federal arrest warrant issued
Warrant issued in U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York for air piracy charges
📋
1975-01-25
Arrest in France
Kerkow and accomplice arrested in France on illegal entry charges using fake passports; accomplice later extradited to U.S.
Key Locations
Interactive map showing important locations related to this case
Case Information
Incident:June 3, 1972
Last Updated:June 15, 2026
Leave a comment
Comments
Case Information
Incident:June 3, 1972
Last Updated:June 15, 2026