Abstract: An airplane anti-hijacking system includes components on board an airplane for producing informational signals reflecting conditions on board the airplane. Communications equipment on board the airplane that can be activated by onboard airplane personnel (e.g., during a hijack attempt or other emergency), automatically sends the informational signals to a ground station or other remote station to provide real-time information to the remote station. One embodiment sends audio, video, and sensor information along with the cockpit audio and flight recorder information already being recorded by an onboard black box system, and the communications equipment can be activated by cockpit personnel, predetermined senior flight attendants, and onboard security personnel.