Apparatus and method are provided for detecting and responding to aircraft emergencies and, in particular, thwarting attempts to hijack an aircraft including the storage in aircraft computer memory of a pattern of aircraft flight characteristics assumed to be unique to aircraft controlled by hijackers. The invention also periodically detects real-time flight characteristics from the aircraft automatic sensing apparatus and compares the real-time flight characteristics with the stored patterns of assumed aircraft flight characteristics of a hijacked aircraft. The assumed aircraft flight characteristics includes thresholds such as exceeding given airspeeds or altitudes less than a specific altitude. If an assumed stored pattern is matched by the real-time flight characteristics, automatic control is taken of the autopilot, attempts to manually control the aircraft are overridden and the aircraft is caused to automatically begin flying in an emergency holding pattern. The invention detects and responds to other emergencies also.