Frederick William Hahneman (July 5, 1922 – December 17, 1991) was a Honduras-born U.S. citizen convicted of hijacking Eastern Air Lines Flight 175 on May 5, 1972.

Evading an FBI and Honduran police manhunt and with a $25,000 bounty placed on him, Hahneman remained on the run for 28 days before finally surrendering to the U.S. embassy in Tegucigalpa.

Shortly after take-off, Hahneman threatened the crew and informed the pilot, Captain W. L. Hendershott, that he was taking over the plane and wanted $303,000 ($2.21 million in 2023) from the airline.

[6] As the captain informed the 48 passengers that, "there is an armed man aboard", Hahneman held the chief stewardess hostage at the rear of the plane.

One of the passengers, The New York Times reporter Neil Amdur, wrote later, "From the moment the captain uttered those chilling words...I felt a sense of fear I had never known.

"[7] Two other passengers, Frank Valek, a safety inspector for Western Electric, and Robert Palazzo, the mayor of Columbia, New Jersey, both found Hahneman's gun pressed into their stomachs as they went to the rest room and magazine rack, respectively.

[6] These were $303,000 in cash, six parachutes, two bush knives, two jump suits, two crash helmets,[7] fuel, food,[8] and two cartons of his favorite cigarettes[7] (Benson & Hedges).

When it was ready, he put a noose around Captain Hendershott's neck and forced the crew out at gunpoint,[6] using them as a human shield[7] to get safely onto the new plane.

[6] The remainder of Flight 175 passed without incident, and on May 6, around 4 am, over the pitch-dark Honduran jungle, Hahneman ordered the captain to slow the plane's airspeed.

[7] With his picture now everywhere in Honduras and exposure close, Hahneman sought refuge with his old friend and fellow engineer, José Gómez Rovelo.

[6] On June 1, L. Patrick Gray III, acting FBI director, obtained a warrant in United States District Court in Alexandria, Virginia, for Hahneman's arrest.

[7] He was sentenced to life imprisonment on September 29, 1972, in the US District Court in Alexandria, Virginia,[citation needed] and sent to the federal prison in Atlanta.

In the press release, they said that a check was made through the National Crime Information Center, which determined the serial numbers tallied with the ransom money.

[6] Hahneman's arrest reignited interest in the case and his quiet Easton neighbourhood was alive with agents and reporters asking questions.