The Convict Who Hijacked a Helicopter to Rescue His Girlfriend

On November 5, 1986, inmates at the Federal Correctional Institution in Pleasanton, California, witnessed something straight out of a Hollywood action film. A green-and-white helicopter descended onto the recreation yard, touched down for barely 10 seconds, and lifted off with prisoner Samantha Lopez aboard. Her fellow inmates erupted in cheers and applause, giving the audacious escape a standing ovation.

The pilot? Her boyfriend, Ronald J. McIntosh—an escaped convict who had walked away from an unsupervised prison transfer just eight days earlier.

The Setup: An Unsupervised Transfer Gone Wrong

McIntosh had been serving time at Pleasanton when he was scheduled for transfer to a prison in Lompoc, Southern California. Incredibly, he was allowed to make the journey without escort or supervision. On October 28, 1986, instead of reporting to his new facility, McIntosh simply vanished.

What prison officials didn't know was that McIntosh, a Vietnam War combat pilot, was already planning something far more dramatic than a simple walkaway.

The Hijacking

On the morning of November 5, McIntosh walked into Aris Helicopters in San Jose using the alias "Fred Holbrickson." Posing as a land developer, he chartered a Hughes 500D helicopter for $420 an hour. Once airborne with pilot Peter Szabo, McIntosh pulled a gun.

He forced Szabo to land in a rural area near Danville, about 10 miles from the prison. McIntosh checked his watch—timing was everything—then ordered the pilot to hand over his shoes and step out. McIntosh took the controls and lifted off alone, leaving the barefoot pilot behind.

Ten Seconds of Freedom

Lopez, a bank robber serving 50 years for crimes in Alabama and Georgia, was waiting on the prison athletic field. She wasn't eligible for parole until 1991, but McIntosh had other plans.

The helicopter touched down. Lopez ran across the yard and jumped in. The entire rescue took less than one minute. As they ascended, prisoners eating lunch in the yard stood and cheered, whistling and applauding the spectacle. "They gave him a standing ovation," one witness later reported.

Wedding Rings and Handcuffs

For 10 days, the fugitive couple evaded capture. Their run ended not in a dramatic shootout, but in the most mundane way possible: shopping for wedding rings.

On November 15, 1986, federal authorities apprehended McIntosh and Lopez at a jewelry store near Sacramento. The couple had apparently been planning to marry on the run.

The Reckoning

In May 1987, a federal jury needed only two hours and 20 minutes to convict both defendants. McIntosh was found guilty of:

• Air piracy
• Using a firearm in the commission of air piracy
• Aiding an escape from federal custody

Lopez was convicted of escaping from federal custody. McIntosh faced a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years—far longer than he likely would have served on his original charges.

The Pleasanton helicopter escape remains one of the most brazen prison breaks in U.S. history, a testament to what people will risk for love—or at least for a dramatic exit.