Hijacking of Trans World Airlines Flight 847, 1985

Hijacking of Trans World Airlines Flight 847, 1985 [File photo]

Trans World Airlines Flight 847 was a flight scheduled from Cairo to San Diego with stops en-route in Athens, Rome, Boston and Los Angeles. During the Athens-Rome flight on June 14, 1985, the plane was hijacked by members of Hezbollah and Islamic Jihads. The terrorists were seeking the release of 700 Shi'ite Muslims from Israeli custody.

The hijackers forced the plane to stop in Beirut in Lebanon, where they exchanged fuel with a number of hostages. Then the plane flew to Algiers in Algeria, where more passengers were released. Dozens of passengers were held hostage over the next two weeks until some of the terrorists' demands were met. United States Navy diver Robert Dean Stethem was beaten and killed, and his body was thrown onto the tarmac.