Uli Derickson
Uli Derickson | |
---|---|
Born | Ulrike Patzelt August 8, 1944 |
Died | February 18, 2005 Tucson, Arizona, U.S. | (aged 60)
Nationality | German American |
Known for | Purser of TWA Flight 847 |
Spouse | Russell Derickson |
Children | 1 |
Uli Derickson (née Patzelt, August 8, 1944 – February 18, 2005) was a German American flight attendant best known for her role in helping protect 152 passengers and crew members during the June 14, 1985, hijacking of TWA Flight 847 by militants with alleged links to Hezbollah.
Early life
Uli Derickson was born as Ulrike Patzelt on August 8, 1944, in Ústí nad Labem, Czechoslovakia. Her family was expelled from Czechoslovakia while she was a child, and moved to East Germany. They later fled to West Germany.[1] She worked jobs as a clerk for a bank and car dealership and also held a part-time job as an au pair in the UK and Switzerland before emigrating to the United States in 1967.[2] Derickson also worked as an au pair in Connecticut before joining Trans World Airlines (TWA) where she met her husband, pilot Russell Derickson. They were married in the 1970s and had a son, Matthew.
In 1985, Russell Derickson retired from his job as TWA pilot.
TWA 847
Derickson was serving as the purser on Flight 847 between
The plane was diverted first to
The hijackers then ordered the plane flown back to Beirut. On the way the first real violence started. The hijackers had earlier identified some
During the hijacking Derickson was asked to sort through passenger passports to single out people with
Aftermath, later life, and death
Because some reports had said that she had given the hijackers names of Jewish passengers on the flight, Derickson later received threats from extremist groups. When the truth about her efforts to protect Jewish passengers by hiding their passports was verified, she received threats from other extremists. Derickson's family relocated to Arizona from New Jersey as a result of these threats.
After the TWA 847 incident, Derickson continued her job as a flight attendant for TWA until her resignation in the late 1980s. She worked at an Arizona real-estate firm before joining
Subsequently, Derickson testified as a prosecution witness at the trial of
Derickson was still working as a flight attendant for Delta Air Lines when she was diagnosed with cancer in August 2003. Russell died earlier the same year. On February 18, 2005, she died in her Tucson residence at the age of 60.[2]
See also
- Christian Zimmerman, Flight Engineer of TWA Flight 847
References
- ^ a b c d e f g "Uli Derickson, 60; Was Lead Flight Attendant on Hijacked Jet". Los Angeles Times. 25 February 2005. Retrieved 28 June 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Uli Derickson, 60, Flight Attendant Who Helped Airline Hostages, Dies". New York Times. 24 February 2005. Retrieved 28 June 2016.
- ^ a b "The Peacemaker of Flight 847". New York Times. 25 December 2005. Retrieved 28 June 2016.
- ^ "Hero Of Twa Hijacking Wins Medal Derickson Forgives Those Who Said She Aided Terrorists". Orlando Sentinel. 5 October 1985. Retrieved 28 June 2016.
External links
- "Bomb kills Hezbollah militant wanted by U.S.". NBC News. February 13, 2008.