It started as a routine hop. June 14, 1985. Trans World Airlines Flight 847 pushed back from the gate in Athens, heading for Rome with 153 people on board. Nobody knew they were about to become the faces of one of the longest, most agonizing hijackings in modern history. Honestly, if you look at the grainy footage today, it feels like a fever dream from a different era, but the scars on the survivors and the impact on global security are very, very real.
Two men, Mohammed Ali Hamadei and Hasan Izz-al-Din, managed to smuggle pistols and grenades through Athens security. They weren't just looking to make a statement; they were looking for leverage. They wanted the release of 766 Lebanese Shia Muslims held by Israel. It was a chaotic, violent mess from the jump. The plane didn't go to Rome. It went to Beirut. Then Algiers. Then Beirut again. It was a 17-day odyssey of terror that felt like it would never end.
The Horror of TWA Flight 847 and the Murder of Robert Stethem
The most gut-wrenching part of this whole ordeal involves Robert Dean Stethem. He was a 23-year-old U.S. Navy Seabee diver returning home with several colleagues. The hijackers singled them out. Because of their military haircuts and IDs, they became targets. You've probably heard about the "beatings," but the reality was more savage. The hijackers systematically beat Stethem for hours. They used the butt of a pistol. They broke his ribs. They did it to show the world they weren't playing.
When the plane landed in Beirut for the second time, the hijackers decided they needed to make a point to the control tower. They shot Robert Stethem in the head. Then, with the cameras rolling and the world watching, they dumped his body onto the tarmac. Just tossed him out like trash. It’s a moment that basically defined the Reagan administration's struggle with Middle Eastern terrorism. The image of the pilot, Captain John Testrake, leaning out the cockpit window with a gun to his head remains one of the most iconic and terrifying photos of the 20th century.
Why the Logistics Were a Nightmare
The plane was basically a flying prison. Imagine sitting in a metal tube for over two weeks in the summer heat of the Mediterranean. The smell must have been unbearable. The psychological toll? Even worse. The hijackers would periodically scream at passengers, force them to sit with their heads between their knees, and threaten to blow the whole thing up.
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Interestingly, the hijackers weren't alone for long. Once they landed in Beirut, more gunmen from the group Hezbollah (though they denied official involvement at the time) swarmed the plane. They took the passengers off and hid them in various locations across Beirut. This made a rescue mission by Delta Force—which was already spinning up—basically impossible. You can't rescue 150 people if they're scattered across a war-torn city in different basements.
The Negotiation Game
The Reagan administration was stuck. On one hand, the U.S. policy was "we don't negotiate with terrorists." On the other hand, you had dozens of American citizens being held at gunpoint. It was a PR nightmare and a human tragedy all rolled into one. Israel was also in a tough spot. They didn't want to look like they were caving to Hezbollah, but the pressure from Washington was immense.
Eventually, a deal was struck. It wasn't a "direct" swap—everyone played the "no-negotiation" card—but the pieces moved. Most of the passengers were released in batches. First the women and children. Then the men. The final group of 39 Americans was driven to Damascus, Syria, and then flown to West Germany. Shortly after, Israel began releasing hundreds of Lebanese prisoners. Everyone claimed it was unrelated. Nobody believed them.
The Man Who Got Away
Mohammed Ali Hamadei was eventually caught in 1987. He was arrested in Frankfurt, Germany, carrying explosives. The U.S. wanted him extradited for the murder of Robert Stethem, but Germany refused because they feared retaliatory kidnappings of Germans in Lebanon. Instead, they tried him and sentenced him to life in prison.
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But here’s the kicker: in 2005, Germany released him on parole after he served 19 years. He vanished back into Lebanon. The FBI still has him on the "Most Wanted Terrorists" list with a $5 million bounty on his head. It’s a bitter pill for the Stethem family and the other survivors. Justice, in this case, feels incomplete. Sorta makes you realize how messy international law gets when bombs and geopolitics are involved.
Lessons Learned from the TWA Hijacking
You might wonder why we don't see hijackings like this anymore. Well, TWA Flight 847 is exactly why. Before 1985, airport security was... well, it was a joke compared to now. You could basically walk onto a plane with a pocketknife and a smile. After 847, everything changed.
- Security Protocols: X-ray machines became more sophisticated, and the "Athens loophole"—where transit passengers weren't screened—was closed.
- The Sky Marshal Program: This event led to a massive expansion of undercover air marshals on international flights.
- Delta Force Evolution: The failure to launch a rescue mission led to a complete overhaul of how the U.S. military coordinates with foreign governments during hostage crises.
It's also worth noting the media's role. This was the first "live-streamed" hostage crisis. CNN was relatively new, and they covered it 24/7. The hijackers knew this. They held press conferences on the tarmac. They used the media as a megaphone. It changed the way news outlets cover terrorism because people realized that "the camera" was actually a tool for the bad guys.
How to Understand the Legacy of Flight 847 Today
If you want to really get into the weeds of this, look up the work of Kurt Carlson. He was another one of the military passengers on board who survived the beatings. His account, One True Thing, provides a terrifying look at what it was like inside that cabin. Also, research the USS Stethem (DDG-63). The U.S. Navy named a destroyer after Robert Stethem to ensure his name was never forgotten.
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What should you take away from this? First, realize that the "no negotiations" rule is almost always more flexible than politicians let on. Second, understand that the current TSA headaches you deal with started with the blood of people on Flight 847.
Next Steps for Research:
- Visit the FBI Most Wanted List: Search for Mohammed Ali Hamadei to see his current status and the standing reward.
- Watch the Documentary Footage: Look for the "TWA 847 Beirut Press Conference" to see the chilling interaction between the hijackers and the media.
- Read the Official Reports: The State Department’s 1985 report on the incident details the breakdown of security in Athens that allowed the weapons on board.
- Study the USS Stethem: Look into the history of the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer named in Robert’s honor to see how the military preserves the memory of its fallen.
The events of June 1985 weren't just a news story. They were a turning point in how the West views security, diplomacy, and the value of a single life against the backdrop of global conflict. It’s a heavy story, but one that’s necessary to understand the world we live in now.