Hijacking Of TWA Flight 847

Beirut ordered airport crews to block the runways with trucks and buses. However, pilot John Testrake informed Beirut tower, "They are beating up passengers. We must land in Beirut. He has pulled the pin of the grenade. We must land. He is ready to blow up the plane." A terrorist responded over the radio, "We are suicide terrorists! If you don't let us land, we will crash the plane into your control tower, or fly it to Baabda and crash into the Presidential Palace!"

The Tower responds hesitantly, "Very well, Land, Land quietly, Land quietly." The pilot states, "They are beating the passengers. They are threatening to kill the passengers. We want fuel now. Immediately. Five minutes at most, or he is going to kill the passengers." A hijacker breaks in and states, "The plane is booby-trapped. If anyone approaches, we will blow it up. Either refuel the plane or blowing it up. No alternative." Flight 847 was allowed to refuel.

The hijackers then released a half dozen women and children and departed for Algiers. Algiers' authorities responded by shutting down the airport in an effort to keep Flight 847 from landing there. President Reagan contacts Algerian President ,Chadli Bendjedid. Flight 847 is allowed to land and most male passengers and crew, except the pilot, are released. Flight 847 departed Algiers and returned back to Beirut. Upon landing in Beirut for the second time, the killing began. The Shiite hijackers, in an effort to show how sincere they were, killed a passenger. Then a Shiite hijacker responded over the radio, "You see! You now believe it. There will be another in five minutes". Within a few minutes, an Amal official and his body guard boarded Flight 847 in an effort to prevent further killings.


Hijacking Of TWA Flight 847

		June 1985 a Friday morning, just under a half an hour into the flight two terrorist brandished their guns and grenades, TWA flight 847 a Boeing 727 would now be hijacked. TWA Flight 847 out of Athens to Rome is hijacked by Shiite Muslims who have been identified as members of Islamic Jihad, "Holy War", a group of various fundamentalist, operating in Lebanon and other Middle East countries. They have been known to be sympathetic to Iran's revolutionary ruler, Ayatullah Khomeini. The flight included over 150 passengers and its crew. At least 100 of the passengers were Americans. Enroute, the pilot contacted Beirut tower. The pilot reports his situation, he further states, "He has pulled a hand-grenade pin and is ready to blow up the aircraft if he has to. We must, I repeat, we must land at Beirut. We must land at Beirut. No alternative." Beirut, not wanting any involvement with the terrorist, attempts to prevent Flight 847 from landing.

Beirut ordered airport crews to block the runways with trucks and buses. However, pilot John Testrake informed Beirut tower, "They are beating up passengers. We must land in Beirut. He has pulled the pin of the grenade. We must land. He is ready to blow up the plane." A terrorist responded over the radio, "We are suicide terrorists! If you don't let us land, we will crash the plane into your control tower, or fly it to Baabda and crash into the Presidential Palace!" The Tower responds hesitantly, "Very well, Land, Land quietly, Land quietly." The pilot states, "They are beating the passengers. They are threatening to kill the passengers. We want fuel now. Immediately. Five minutes at most, or he is going to kill the passengers." A hijacker breaks in and states, "The plane is booby-trapped. If anyone approaches, we will blow it up. Either refuel the plane or blowing it up. No alternative." Flight 847 was allowed to refuel. The hijackers then released a half dozen women and children and departed for Algiers. Algiers' authorities responded by shutting down the airport in an effort to keep Flight 847 from landing there. President Reagan contacts Algerian President ,Chadli Bendjedid. Flight 847 is allowed to land and most male passengers and crew, except the pilot, are released. Flight 847 departed Algiers and returned back to Beirut. Upon landing in Beirut for the second time, the killing began. The Shiite hijackers, in an effort to show how sincere they were, killed a passenger. Then a Shiite hijacker responded over the radio, "You see! You now believe it. There will be another in five minutes". Within a few minutes, an Amal official and his body guard boarded Flight 847 in an effort to prevent further killings.