Uli Derickson

Ulrike Patzelt (August 8, 1944 – February 18, 2005), better known as Uli Derickson, was a flight attendant during the June 14, 1985 hijacking of TWA Flight 847 by Hezbollah terrorists. Derickson is credited with helping to protect 152 passengers and crew members.

Flight 847

In 1985, on Flight 847 between Athens and Rome, her plane was hijacked. Derickson took a karate kick to the chest from one of the hijackers as he forced her to go with him into the cockpit. The other hijacker—who was holding a grenade with the pin removed—started kicking open the door. Once inside, they pistol-whipped the pilot and flight engineer.

Related Topics:
Athens - Rome - Karate

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The two hijackers spoke almost no English but Derickson was able to speak with one of them in German, eventually gaining their trust. This put her at the center of the drama for the next 55 hours as she translated the tense communication between the plane's crew and the hijackers. At one point the crueler of the two hijackers asked her to marry him.

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The plane was diverted first to Beirut, where Derickson successfully pleaded with the hijackers to release 17 elderly women and two children.

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Later in the ordeal, a ground crew in Algiers refused to refuel the plane without payment despite the terrorists' threat to kill passengers. It occurred to Derickson to offer her Shell credit card. The ground crew charged about $5,500 for 6,000 gallons of fuel.

Related Topics:
Algiers - Shell

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Derickson was asked to sort through passenger passports to single out people with Jewish-sounding names. Initial reports suggested that she had followed the orders, but the truth -- that she had, in fact, hidden the passports -- was later revealed.

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The plane flew back toward Beirut. The hijackers had earlier identified some American military personnel on the flight. They singled out U.S. Navy diver Robert D. Stethem. After beating him severely with the arm of a chair, Stethem was shot and his body was dumped on the airport tarmac. Islamic militiamen boarded the plane to assist the hijackers. The plane then headed back toward Algiers.

Related Topics:
American - U.S. Navy - Robert D. Stethem

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After about 36 hours, the terrorists released a second wave of hostages including Derickson and 65 others. The plane, now with only 39 American men onboard as hostages, flew back to Beirut where they were held for 17 days. The ordeal ended on June 30th after Israel released 31 Lebanese prisoners, a fraction of the 766 the hijackers had demanded.

Related Topics:
Israel - Lebanese

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