Uli Derickson - Books & Video

Triumph Over Terror - by Captain John Testrake

With guns at his head, Captain John Testrake found his competence as a pilot put to the ultimate test as the edgy and desperate hijackers ordered the plane back and forth between Algiers and Beirut. This is Testrake's gripping account of his seventeen-day ordeal as a hostage in a situation that could have literally blown up in his face.

One American Must Die - by Major Kurt Carlson

On a trip from Athens to Rome, Army reservist Kurt Carlson was one of those taken by the Lebanese hijackers of TWA Flight 847 in June 1985. Here he details his treatment at the hands of the Amal militia after he survived a vicious beating on the plane, narrowly missing the fate of slain Navy diver Robert Stethem.

The Flight

In June of 1985, TWA Flight 847 was seized by two fanatical Hezbollah Muslims. This movie stars Lindsay Wagner as courageous TWA purser Uli Derickson, whose knowledge of German enables her to communicate with the chief hijacker. When the ordeal was over, Derickson was credited with saving many lives and preventing the crisis from becoming far worse than it already was.

Hostage in a Hostage World - by Flight Officer Christian Zimmermann

Flight Officer Benjamin Christian Zimmerman is held captive on-board TWA's 727 airplane in Beirut. Here he shares his story, from the fearful first moments of the hijacking, to the dreary two weeks aboard the plane on Beirut's war-torn airstrip, offering his personal Christian views against those of the Islamic Shiite terrorists.

Terror in the Skies - by Captain Thomas M. Ashwood

"No one in the world is more qualified to speak out on terror in the skies than Captain Ashwood, who was chairman of the Security Committee of the International Federation of Airline Pilots." Ashwood tells why commercial airlines are such an attractive target for terrorists. He also interviews Uli Derickson and includes a chapter called, "Horror in the Cabin - A Flight Attendant's Story."

Nightline: Flight 847 Hijacked

Nightline and the ABC News team bear witness to reality as it occurs throughout the world. Terrorists hijack TWA Flight 847 to Beirut and Algiers. Updates and the latest information are given as are commentaries from correspondents at the State Department, White House and Pentagon.

17 Days of Terror: The Hijack of TWA 847

In June of 1985, TWA Flight 847 was snatched from its course, and its passengers held hostage for 17 days, while the world stood helplessly by. 17 Days of Terror recounts coverage by ABC News of the commandeering of the jetliner in the skies over Europe and its harrowing journey to the Middle East. Television veterans Peter Jennings, Sam Donaldson, Pierre Salinger, and Peter Glass are shown in fine form through actual news footage.