The Resume

(August 8, 1944-February 18, 2005)
Born in Aussig an der Elbe, Czech Republic
Birth name was Ulrike Patzelt
Flight attendant on TWA Flight 847 when two hijackers working for Hezbollah commandeered the plane (June 14, 1985)
The Athens to Rome flight was diverted and flown five times between Beirut and Algiers
Credited with helping protect 152 passengers and crew members (with one fatality)
Subject of the 1988 TV movie 'The Taking of Flight 847: The Uli Derickson Story,' with Lindsay Wagner (she acted as consultant)
First woman to receive the Silver Cross for Valor
Died of cancer at age 60

Why she might be annoying:

She was thrust into a crisis because she was the only one who could speak German (the only language one of the two hijackers understood).
She ranged in emotions from calmness to uncontrollable crying.
One of the hijackers asked her to marry him.
Years after the ordeal she had a falling out with TWA and switched to Delta Airlines.

Why she might not be annoying:

As a child she fled with her mother at great risk from East to West Germany.
At the start of the hijacking one of the thugs kicked her square in the chest.
She gained enough of the hijackers' trust to secure the release of 17 elderly woman and two kids during the first day.
When Algiers refused to refuel the plane for flight back to Beirut without payment she paid for the fuel herself ($5,500 worth) with her Shell credit card.
It was erroneously reported she helped the thugs single out Jewish passengers.
Though one U.S. Navy diver was killed she talked the hijackers out of killing two others by yelling 'Enough! Enough!' until the beatings stopped.
When one of the hijackers was captured and put on trail in 1987, she testified against him though receiving death threats.
She was later asked to teach seminars on crisis management techniques with TWA, Delta and the FBI.

Credit: Scar Tactics

Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

• Celebrities Born on the Same Date [August] (Ranked: 8081944)
• Flight Attendants
• I Died in 2005 (Ranked: 60)
• Look at Me, I'm Accepting My Award
• Look at Me, I'm Cold
• My Spouse is at Least Ten Years Older than Me
• People Magazine's 25 Most Intriguing People [1985]
• Profiles 21501-21750 (Ranked: 21694)
• Scar Tactics' Profiles [Series 06]
• Teachers
• War on Terrorism Players

Year In Review:

For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 17 Votes: 5.88% Annoying
In 2023, Out of 28 Votes: 21.43% Annoying
In 2021, Out of 9 Votes: 55.56% Annoying
In 2020, Out of 9 Votes: 11.11% Annoying
In 2019, Out of 34 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2018, Out of 20 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2017, Out of 7 Votes: 42.86% Annoying
In 2016, Out of 65 Votes: 63.08% Annoying
In 2015, Out of 49 Votes: 51.02% Annoying
In 2014, Out of 84 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2013, Out of 40 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2012, Out of 18 Votes: 22.22% Annoying
In 2011, Out of 103 Votes: 56.31% Annoying
In 2010, Out of 121 Votes: 59.50% Annoying
In 2009, Out of 54 Votes: 40.74% Annoying
In 2008, Out of 58 Votes: 37.93% Annoying
In 2007, Out of 149 Votes: 44.97% Annoying