TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Uli Derickson, the flight attendant who served as a buffer between terrorists and passengers during a 1985 airline hijacking that dragged on for 17 days, has died at the age of 60.
Derickson, who was diagnosed with cancer in 2003, died Feb. 18 at her home in Tucson, said Glen Coughenour, funeral director at the Evergreen Mortuary Cemetery and Crematory.
During the hijacking of Trans World Airlines Flight 847 in June 1985, Derickson talked to the Shiite Muslim terrorists and is credited with shielding passengers whose names sounded Jewish by hiding their passports.
View Comments
The flight began in Athens but ended up in Beirut, where the crew and 39 passengers were held for 17 days.