|
||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||
|
||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||
Bombings aboard commercial airliners are unfortunately nothing new. These attacks have plagued airline travel almost since its beginning. While most of the early bombings were suicide attempts or schemes for insurance money, terrorism became a dominant motive for increasingly deadly attacks since the 1960s. The following list describes a whopping 80 cases related to airliner bombings, 52 of them resulting in deaths.
10 October 1933 - United Airlines
A Boeing 247 airliner flying from Cleveland, Ohio, to Chicago, Illinois, exploded in mid-air over Chesterton,
Indiana. Ten people (7 passengers, 3 crew) were killed in the crash. The crash was blamed on a nitroglycerin
bomb aboard the plane but no suspects or motive were ever found.
7 May 1949 - Philippine Air Lines
A flight from Daet to Manila carrying 13 people (10 passengers, 3 crew) disappeared over the Sibuyan Sea. The
Douglas DC-3 crashed, killing all aboard, after suffering a violent explosion in its tail. Two ex-convicts later
confessed to planting a time bomb on the aircraft. The plot was intended to kill a male passenger so his wife
could marry another man she was involved with.
9 September 1949 - Canadian Pacific Airlines
A Canadian Pacific Douglas DC-3 left Montréal, Canada, for a suburb of Quebec City. The plane was then to continue
on to Baie-Comeau. Shortly after takeoff on the second leg of the journey, however, the aircraft disintegrated in
flight killing all 23 aboard (19 passengers, 4 crew). The disaster was caused by a dynamite bomb that had been
placed in the forward baggage compartment by Albert Guay. His wife, Rita Morel, had boarded the plane at Quebec
City. The marriage was troubled and Guay had taken a mistress. Since divorce laws in Quebec were very strict at
the time, Guay plotted to kill his wife and collect $15,000 in life insurance. Guay assembled the bomb with help
from Généreux Ruest, a clockmaker who constructed the timing mechanism. Another accomplice was Ruest's sister,
Marguerite Pitre, who air expressed the device on the DC-3. All three conspirators were hanged for the crime.
12 August 1952 - Transportes Aéreos Nacionales
A Douglas DC-3 operated by the Brazilian airline TAN left Rio Verde headed for Goiania with 24 people aboard
(20 passengers, 4 crew). The aircraft never reached its destination after suffering a mid-air explosion caused by
a bomb.
11 April 1955 - Air India
A Lockheed L-749 airliner called the Kashmir Princess was traveling from Bombay, India, to Hong Kong to Jakarta,
Indonesia. The Air India plane carried 19 people including delegates from China and Vietnam as well as several
journalists from Asia and Europe bound for the Asia-Afro Bandung Conference. About five hours after departing Hong
Kong while flying over the Natuna Islands, an explosion started a fire behind the inboard engine on the right wing.
Smoke quickly spread through the cabin and cockpit as the aircraft lost pressure. While attempting to ditch at sea,
the right wing struck the water and the plane broke apart. Three members of the crew escaped the wreckage and were
rescued but the remaining 16 people were killed. Investigators concluded the explosion was caused by a bomb most
likely placed aboard to assassinate the premier of China, Zhou Enlai, who was due to be on the flight. Zhou Enlai
cancelled at the last minute, and evidence suggests he may have known about the plot ahead of time. It is most
likely that Kuomintang agents from Taiwan were behind the bombing and investigators suspected the explosive was
planted by Chow Tse-ming, a janitor for Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering Company who had access to the plane. Chow
fled to Taiwan, and the Taiwan government refused to extradite him while also denying he was a Kuomintang
operative. There is also evidence the American CIA played a role in the assassination attempt and may have provided
the bomb.
1 November 1955 - United Airlines Flight 629
United 629 was a Douglas DC-6B en route from Denver, Colorado, to Portland, Oregon. Nine minutes after takeoff,
the aircraft was destroyed by a bomb composed of 25 sticks of dynamite. The explosive appeared to have detonated
in the number 4 baggage compartment causing the plane's tail to disintegrate and sending it out of control. All 44
passengers and crew were killed in the crash. A man named Jack Graham was arrested for the act. Graham's mother,
Daisie King, was on the plane and he hoped to claim $37,500 of life insurance policies he had bought from vending
machines at the airport just before departure. Ironically, the life insurance policies were invalid since his
mother had not signed them. Graham apparently had a long grudge against his mother as well as a criminal history.
He had been arrested for forgery in 1951 and had also collected insurance on one of his mother's restaurants that
mysteriously exploded. Graham was put to death in the gas chamber a year after the bombing.
25 July 1957 - Western Air Lines Flight 39
Western 39 was a multi-stage flight on a route from Minneapolis to Salt Lake City to Cedar City to Las Vegas to
Los Angeles. A passenger named Saul Binstock flew from Burbank, California, to Las Vegas and never left the
airport terminal prior to boarding the Western Air Lines flight back to Los Angeles. The Convair CV-240 had just
taken off carrying 16 people (13 passengers, 3 crew) when Binstock locked himself into the aft lavatory and set off
a dynamite bomb. Though he was killed and the blast created a
17 April 1959 - Tigres Voladores
Flying between the Mexican cities of Mexicale and Guaymas, a Curtiss C-46 carrying 26 people (21 passengers, 5
crew) crashed near Puerto Kino. The plane had exploded and caught fire in mid-air, and it is believed a bomb was
the cause.
8 September 1959 - Mexicana
A Douglas DC-3 carrying 16 people (13 passengers, 3 crew) took off from Mexico City bound for Merida, Mexico.
During flight, a detonation in the passenger cabin started a fire and forced an emergency landing at Poza Rica.
A male passenger was suspected of carrying the bomb aboard, and he was the only fatality after he was blown from
the plane at an altitude of 11,000 ft (3,350 m).
16 November 1959 - National Airlines Flight 967
A Douglas DC-7B carrying 42 people (36 passengers, 6 crew) was en route from Tampa, Florida, to New Orleans,
Louisiana, when it crashed into the Gulf of Mexico. The investigation took a bizarre turn when a mystery involving
one of the passengers was uncovered. William Taylor disappeared the day before the flight after telephoning his
employer that he would be late for work. He next turned up at the airport just before National 967 departed and
purchased a $37,500 flight insurance policy. Though it appears Taylor was killed on the flight and his ex-wife
received the insurance money, the peculiar fact is the airline had no record of anyone by that name being aboard.
The ticket Taylor had used was instead issued to Robert Spears. Spears lived in Texas but was in Tampa visiting
his friend Taylor at the time of the crash. The two men knew each other well and both had long criminal
backgrounds. Many suspect Spears tricked Taylor into taking the flight and into carrying a piece of luggage
along. The luggage presumably contained a bomb. When the plane was destroyed killing all aboard, it would be
assumed Spears had perished and his wife could collect $100,000 in life insurance. Spears vanished after the crash
until he was arrested in Phoenix, Arizona, for unlawful possession of Taylor's automobile. However, investigators
were unable to find any proof linking Spears to the plane's loss. The lack of physical evidence in the case made
sabotage impossible to prove and no charges were ever brought.
6 January 1960 - National Airlines Flight 2511
A Douglas DC-6B flying from New York City to Miami, Florida, disintegrated in mid-air and crashed in North
Carolina, killing all 34 aboard (29 passengers, 5 crew). The aircraft apparently crashed due to the detonation of
a dynamite bomb in the vicinity of row 7. It is believed a passenger named Julian Frank committed suicide when he
set off the bomb in his lap or under his seat. Frank was under investigation for fraud and embezzlement and had
purchased life insurance policies worth $1 million before the crash. Given the similarities to the National 967
crash two months earlier, however, others suspect Frank may have been innocent and was unaware he was carrying a
bomb. No one was charged in either case and the two crashes remain mysterious to this day.
10 May 1961 - Air France Flight 406
A Lockheed 1649A Starliner operated by Air France was carrying 78 people (69 passengers, 9 crew) on a flight from
Brazzaville, Congo, to Paris, France. During a leg from Chad to Marseilles, the aircraft crashed into the Sahara
Desert in Libya killing all aboard. The cause of the crash was traced to a nitrocellulose bomb that detonated in
mid-air.
22 May 1962 - Continental Airlines Flight 11
The first commercial jet airliner to be sabotaged was Continental 11 en route from Chicago to Kansas City to Los
Angeles. The Boeing 707 carried 45 people (37 passengers, 8 crew) when
a dynamite bomb hidden in a towel container under the washbasin in the right rear lavatory detonated. The blast
caused the plane's tail to break away from the rest of the fuselage and the aircraft went out of control, crashing
near Unionville, Missouri, and taking the lives of everyone aboard. Responsibility was blamed on a passenger named
Thomas Doty who had a criminal record and purchased a large life insurance policy shortly before the flight.
8 December 1964 - Aerolineas Abaroa
A Douglas DC-3 was carrying 17 people (13 passengers, 4 crew) between the Bolivian cities of Tipuani and La Paz
when the plane crashed in the Andes Mountains. The impact had been caused when a bomb blast in the aft passenger
cabin blew off the plane's tail. It is believed a passenger used the bomb to commit suicide for insurance money,
and no one survived.
8 July 1965 - Canadian Pacific Airlines Flight 21
Canadian Pacific 21 departed Vancouver for Whitehorse. The Douglas DC-6B crashed in British Columbia after the
plane's tail section broke away from the rest of the fuselage. Investigators suspect a passenger mixed acid and
gunpowder in the aft lavatory setting off an explosion in the passenger compartment. The crash killed all 52
aboard (46 passengers, 6 crew). The motive for the bombing is believed to be a suicide-for-insurance scheme.
22 November 1966 - Aden Airways
All 30 passengers and crew aboard a Douglas DC-3 were killed when the aircraft crashed at Aden, Yemen. An
in-flight bomb detonation was determined to have caused the crash.
9 May 1967 - Cubana de Aviación
A Cubana flight from Havana to Mexico City crashed shortly before landing. All 10 people (6 passengers, 4 crew)
aboard the Antonov An-12 were killed in the impact that was blamed on a bomb blast.
12 October 1967 - British European Airways Flight 284
BEA CY284 was a de Havilland Comet 4 that departed Athens, Greece,
bound for Cyprus. While flying at 29,000 ft (8,840 m), a bomb located under seat 4A or 5A in the rear of the
tourist cabin detonated. The aircraft descended as the pilots struggled to maintain control, but the plane began
breaking up at 15,000 ft (4,570 m) and crashed into the Mediterranean Sea. All 66 people (59 passengers, 7 crew)
aboard were killed. It is believed the bomb was placed by terrorists hoping to kill the general in command of the
Cyprus army who was to be aboard but cancelled shortly before departure.
11 December 1967 - American Airlines
An American Airlines Boeing 727 departed Chicago when a small explosion
occurred one hour and 42 minutes after takeoff. The blast was caused by a crude homemade bomb located in the aft
baggage hold. None of the 78 passengers and crew were injured and the plane was able to land safely.
19 November 1968 - Continental Airlines
A Boeing 707 carrying 70 people was preparing to land at Denver when an
explosion occurred in one of the lavatories. Though the blast started a small fire, the pilots were able to make
an emergency landing with no injuries. A passenger seen leaving the lavatory just before the explosion was
arrested by the FBI.
11 March 1969 - Ethiopian Airlines
While sitting on the ground at Frankfurt, West Germany, with no one aboard, two explosions in the passenger cabin
rocked a Boeing 707 doing considerable damage.
22 December 1969 - Air Vietnam
During final approach at Nha Trang, Vietnam, a bomb exploded aboard a Douglas DC-6B blasting a 5 ft (1.5 m) hole
in the fuselage near the port cabin washroom. The plane's hydraulic system failed so the landing gear had to be
lowered manually and the flaps would not deploy. As the stricken plane touched down, it overran the end of the
runway striking several houses and a school. The impact killed 10 of the 77 people aboard as well as 24 victims on
the ground.
21 February 1970 - Swissair Flight 330
Swissair SR330 left Zürich, Switzerland, for Tel Aviv, Israel, carrying 47 people (38 passengers, 9 crew). The
Convair CV-990 suffered an explosion about nine minutes after takeoff due to a bomb triggered by change in
atmospheric pressure that had been placed in the aft cargo hold. As the crew attempted to turn the plane back
towards the airport for an emergency landing, smoke clouded the cockpit and electrical power was lost. The
aircraft crashed shortly thereafter with no survivors. The militant group Popular Front for the Liberation of
Palestine claimed responsibility for the bombing.
21 February 1970 - Austrian Airlines
On the same day as the Swissair bombing, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine detonated a second bomb
aboard an Austrian Airlines Caravelle airliner traveling from Frankfurt, Germany, to Vienna, Austria. The bomb,
located inside a mailbag due to be carried to Israel on a later flight, exploded about 20 minutes after takeoff.
Though a 6 ft² (0.6 m²) hole was torn in the bottom of the fuselage, the aircraft landed safely at Frankfurt and
none of the 38 people (33 passengers, 5 crew) aboard were injured.
21 April 1970 - Philippine Air Lines
A Hawker Siddeley HS-748 crashed near Manila, Philippines, after a bomb exploded in the aft cargo hold. The crash
killed all 36 passengers and crew.
24 August 1971 - Alia Jordanian Airlines
An empty Boeing 707 was parked at Madrid, Spain, when a bomb in an aft
lavatory exploded. The blast tore a 3 ft (1 m) long hole in the top of the fuselage but no one was harmed.
21 November 1971 - China Airlines
A Caravelle III airliner operated by the Taiwan carrier China Airlines was on a flight from Taipei to Hong Kong
when the plane mysteriously vanished. The jet crashed into the sea off the coast of Penghu Island killing all
25 passengers and crew. Though never proven, a bomb is considered the most probable cause of the crash.
26 January 1972 - JAT Yugoslav Airlines Flight JU 367
JU 367 departed Stockholm, Sweden, for Belgrade, Yugoslavia carrying 23 passengers and 5 crew. While flying over
Czechoslovakia, the Douglas DC-9 suffered an explosion in the forward
cargo hold. The resulting explosive decompression ripped the plane apart. The blast was caused by a homemade bomb
believed to have been planted by a Croatian extremist group called Ustasji. Although the bombing killed 27 people,
a 22 year old flight attendant named Vesna Vulovic miraculously survived. Vulovic fell some 33,330 ft (10,150 m)
while strapped to a section of the plane that cushioned her impact. Though she had broken both legs, was
temporarily paralyzed from the waist down, and was in a coma for 27 days, she eventually recovered from her
injuries after 16 months of treatment.
8 March 1972 - Trans World Airlines
While parked at the airport in Las Vegas, Nevada, with no one aboard, a
Boeing 707 operated by TWA was so badly damaged by a bomb blast that
the aircraft had to be written off. The device had been placed in the right rear part of the cockpit. The plot
was organized by an unknown person or group that had earlier threatened to blow up TWA aircraft unless paid $2
million.
25 May 1972 - LAN Chile
A LAN Chile flight from Panama City, Panama, to Miami suffered an explosion about one hour and 18 minutes after
takeoff. The Boeing 727 was carrying 50 people (40 passengers, 10
crew). The blast was caused by a crude pipe bomb planted in the ice water fountain service compartment. Though
the plane experienced a rapid decompression, no one was harmed and the pilots made an emergency landing at Montego
Bay, Jamaica.
15 June 1972 - Cathay Pacific Airways Flight 700Z
A total of 81 people (71 passengers, 10 crew) were killed when Cathay Pacific CX700Z crashed in Vietnam. The
Convair CV-880 had departed Bangkok for Singapore and on to Hong Kong. During the second leg of the journey, an
explosive device hidden in a suitcase under a seat on the right side of the cabin detonated. A Thai police officer
was accused of planting the bomb to kill his daughter and her fiancé, but he was acquitted due to lack of evidence.
16 August 1972 - El Al Israel Airlines
A Boeing 707 of Israel's El Al had just taken off from Rome, Italy,
bound for Tel Aviv when a bomb hidden in a portable record player exploded in the aft baggage compartment. The
airline had adopted reinforced cargo containers that reduced the bomb's effectiveness. Though the 200 grams
of explosive blew a hole through the baggage hold, the aircraft landed safely at Rome and none of the 148 people
aboard were injured.
19 March 1973 - Vietnam Airlines
All 62 passengers and crew aboard a Douglas C-54D were killed when a bomb exploded in the plane's forward cargo
hold. The aircraft crashed at Ben Me Thuot, South Vietnam.
21 April 1973 - Philippine Air Lines
A Hawker Siddeley HS-748 carrying 33 people crashed near Patabangan, Philippines, after a bomb exploded aboard.
18 May 1973 - Aeroflot
An Aeroflot flight from Moscow to Chita in Siberia was hijacked with 100 passengers and crew aboard. When the
hijacker's demands were not met, he set off a bomb in the passenger cabin. The
Tu-104A broke up at 30,000 ft (9,145 m) and crashed near Chita with no
survivors.
17 December 1973 - Pan American World Airways Flight 110
Pan Am 110 was a Boeing 707 preparing to leave Rome, Italy, for Beirut,
Lebanon with 177 people aboard. Departure was delayed when a group of Palestinian gunmen stormed through the
terminal and across the tarmac towards the aircraft. The men threw two phosphorous bombs onto the plane killing 30
and injuring 41 passengers. The attackers went on to take five hostages, kill a customs agent, and hijack a
Lufthansa Boeing 737. The plane flew to Damascus and then Kuwait
before one of the hostages was killed and the terrorists escaped. They were eventually arrested and convicted, and
the attack was traced to Abu Nidal's Fatah group.
22 March 1974 - Air Inter
A Caravelle III airliner on the ground at Bastia, France, was heavily damaged when an explosion occurred in the
forward landing gear compartment. No one was injured.
26 August 1974 - Trans World Airlines
Shortly after landing in Rome, a fire broke out in the aft baggage compartment of a TWA flight. The fire was
caused by a bomb that had malfunctioned. No one was injured. The failed bombing may have led to the attack on TWA
841 the following month.
8 September 1974 - Trans World Airlines Flight 841
TWA 841 was a Boeing 707 that left Tel Aviv, Israel, for New York
City. The flight made a scheduled stopover in Athens, Greece, before heading on its second leg to Rome, Italy.
Just 18 minutes after takeoff, however, the plane crashed into the Ionian Sea killing 88 people (79 passengers, 9
crew). Subsequent investigation concluded the plane was brought down by a bomb hidden in the aft cargo hold that
resulted in structural failure. A group in Lebanon claimed responsibility for the bombing, and the Abu Nidal
terrorist organization is believed to have been behind the attack.
3 June 1975 - Philippine Air Lines
A BAC One-Eleven departed Legaspi carrying 64 people (59 passengers, 5 crew) bound for Manila. As the plane
descended for landing, a bomb detonated in the right lavatory in the aft passenger cabin. The blast created a
large hole
5 July 1975 - Pakistan International Airlines
A Boeing 707 was on the ground in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, following a
flight from Karachi. After the passengers had disembarked, a bomb exploded under a seat in the cabin ripping a
1 January 1976 - Middle East Airlines Flight 438
MEA 438 was a Boeing 720 en route from Beirut, Lebanon, to Dubai, United Arab Emirates. While flying over
northeastern Saudi Arabia at 37,000 ft (11,275 m) a bomb detonated in the forward baggage hold. The plane broke up
and the crash killed all 81 people aboard. The identity of the bombers has never been determined.
7 September 1976 - Air France
Seven masked men planted dynamite explosives aboard a Boeing 707 parked
at Ajaccio, France. No one was injured in the subsequent blast but the plane was destroyed.
6 October 1976 - Cubana de Aviación Flight 455
A Cubana flight was headed from Barbados, via Trinidad, to Havana, Cuba. The
Douglas DC-8 carrying 73 people (48 passengers, 25 crew) exploded in
flight and spun downward crashing off the coast of Bridgetown, Barbados. The aircraft is believed to have been
destroyed by two time bombs using dynamite or C-4 explosives that set off an uncontrollable fire in the aft cabin.
The plot was traced to anti-Castro Cuban exiles and Venezuelan secret police who reportedly had links to the
Central Intelligence Agency in the United States.
17 August 1978 - Philippine Air Lines
With 84 aboard (78 passengers, 6 crew), a BAC One-Eleven left Cebu for Manilla. One passenger was killed when a
bomb blast in the left rear lavatory blew a hole in the fuselage. The aircraft landed safely with no additional
injuries. Note that the aircraft involved was the same one bombed in June 1975.
19 February 1979 - Ethiopian Airlines
A Douglas DC-3 crashed at Barentu, Ethiopia, after a bomb exploded aboard. All five passengers and crew were
killed.
26 April 1979 - Indian Airlines
An Indian Airlines flight from Trivandrum was descending to land at Madras (now Chennai) when an explosion went
off in the forward lavatory. The detonation caused a complete instrument and electrical failure aboard the
Boeing 737. The plane was forced to make a high speed landing because
the flaps could not be extended. With thrust reversers and anti-skid systems also disabled, the aircraft overran
the end of the runway. Though the right side of the plane caught fire, all 67 occupants (61 passengers, 6 crew)
evacuated safely. All survived but the 737 was written off due to the damage.
15 November 1979 - American Airlines Flight 444
American 444 was a Boeing 727 carrying 78 people (72 passengers, 6 crew)
and headed from Chicago to Washington DC. Thirty minutes into flight, a mail bomb hidden in a wooden box in the
cargo hold ignited. The device produced large amounts of smoke but failed to detonate, though investigators found
that only a faulty timer prevented the bomb from obliterating the plane. The pilot made a successful emergency
landing at Washington-Dulles but several passengers had to be treated for smoke inhalation. The bomb was built by
Ted Kaczynski, better known as the Unabomber, and this was his first attack to be investigated by the FBI.
Kaczynski's bombing attacks spread over 18 years before he was finally caught in 1996, and he has since been
sentenced to life imprisonment.
9 September 1980 - United Airlines
Passengers were disembarking a Boeing 727 in Sacramento, California,
when a small cardboard box in the cargo hold detonated. The explosion injured two cargo handlers but none of the
44 passengers and crew were harmed.
21 December 1980 - Transportes Aereos del Caribe
A Caravelle of TAC left Rio Hacha, Colombia, on its first scheduled flight following 17 months of maintenance.
The flight was bound for Medellín with 70 people aboard (63 passengers, 7 crew). Five minutes after takeoff, an
explosion set off a fire on the right side of the tail causing the plane to lose control and crash. It is unknown
whether a bomb caused the crash but it is suspected.
31 August 1981 - Middle East Airlines
No one remained aboard a Boeing 720 that had arrived in Beirut, Lebanon, following a flight from Tripoli, Libya,
when a large bomb exploded. The 5000 grams of dynamite destroyed the plane.
13 October 1981 - Air Malta
A Boeing 737 was being unloaded at Cairo, Egypt, following a flight
from Malta when a porter and three security guards were injured by bomb blasts. Two explosive devices hidden in
parcels exploded about 15 minutes apart. A third bomb was located later but did not detonate. None of the
passengers and crew were harmed.
12 December 1981 - Aeronica
A Boeing 727 of the Nicaraguan airline Aeronica was about to board for a
flight from Mexico City to San Salvador, El Salvador. As passengers were preparing to embark, a bomb hidden
between the cabin wall and the furthest aft passenger seat on the left aisle exploded. The blast injured the
captain, two stewardesses, and an airport mechanic. The plane was also seriously damaged with a 3 ft (0.9 m) hole
torn in the fuselage.
11 August 1982 - Pan American World Airways Flight 830
A Boeing 747 of Pan Am was on a flight from Tokyo to Honolulu, Hawaii,
when a bomb hidden under a seat cushion detonated. The explosion killed a 16 year old Japanese boy, injured 15
more passengers, tore a hole in the floor, and also damaged the cabin ceiling and overhead luggage bins. Despite
the damage, the aircraft made a safe emergency landing at Honolulu with no further injuries. A terrorist named
Mohammed Rashed who belonged to the 15 May group, an offshoot of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine,
was blamed for the attack. Rashed was finally arrested in Greece in 1988 and sentenced to 15 years in prison. He
was released in 1996 after serving only eight years, but the United States convicted Rashed for another seven year
sentence in 2006.
19 August 1983 - Syrian Arab Airlines
While boarding passengers at Rome for a flight to Damascus, Syria, a fire started aboard a
Boeing 727. The fire was set off by a glass bottle containing
flammable liquid that was placed under a seat near the right overwing emergency exit. The fire consumed the
interior of the plane doing considerable damage, but no one was hurt.
23 September 1983 - Gulf Air Flight 771
Gulf Air 771 left Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, for Karachi, Pakistan, aboard a
Boeing 737 carrying 117 people (111 passengers, 6 crew). The aircraft
exploded shortly after takeoff and crashed in the desert near Mina Jebel Ali in the UAE. A bomb in the baggage
compartment caused the fatal crash. The terrorist Abu Nidal took responsibility to convince nations in the region
to pay him protection money and avoid future attacks. Both the UAE and Kuwait paid Nidal off shortly thereafter.
18 January 1984 - Air France
An Air France Boeing 747 was carrying 261 passengers and crew when
an explosion rocked the aircraft shortly after leaving Karachi, Pakistan. The blast created a hole in the right
aft cargo compartment causing rapid decompression. The pilots made an emergency descent and landing at the airport
with no injuries.
10 March 1984 - Union des Transportes Aériens
A Douglas DC-8 was traveling from Brazzaville, Congo, to Paris. While
the aircraft was parked on the apron during a stopover in N'Djamena, Chad, a small explosive device went off in the
baggage compartment. The 23 people (18 passengers, 5 crew) aboard at the time were evacuated without injury.
Twenty minutes later, a second bomb detonated in the central baggage hold destroying the aircraft.
23 January 1985 - Lloyd Aèreo Boliviano
The LAB flight left La Paz, Mexico, for Santa Cruz, Bolivia. While en route with 127 occupants (120 passengers,
7 crew), a passenger entered the forward lavatory carrying a suitcase. Inside the suitcase was dynamite that
exploded, killing the passenger. The Boeing 727 landed safely at
Santa Cruz with no additional fatalities.
9 March 1985 - Royal Jordanian Airlines
A Lockheed L-1011 TriStar was on the ground at Dubai following a flight from Karachi, Pakistan, when a bomb
exploded in one of the baggage holds. No one was harmed in the blast.
23 June 1985 - Air India Flight 182
The deadliest terror attack of any kind prior to September 11 was Air India 182, a flight from Montréal to London
to Delhi to Bombay. The Boeing 747 carried a total of 329 (307
passengers, 22 crew) when it disappeared over the Atlantic Ocean south of Ireland. A bomb located in the forward
cargo hold had detonated at an altitude of 31,000 feet (9,500 m) causing rapid decompression and break-up of the
plane. A second bomb was also to be transferred aboard Air India Flight 301, scheduled to carry 177 passengers
from Tokyo to Bangkok. However, this bomb exploded at the Tokyo airport killing two baggage handlers and injuring
four others. The attacks were blamed on a Sikh separatist group called Babbar Khalsa, but only one person was
convicted for the attack after almost 20 years of investigation and prosecution by Canadian authorities. Bomber
Inderjit Singh Reyat had his sentence reduced to just five years in prison in exchange for testimony against other
alleged plotters, but he faces additional charges for perjury.
30 October 1985 - American Airlines
A bomb hidden in a vinyl tote bag exploded aboard a Boeing 727. The
blast occurred in the forward baggage hold while being unloaded and there were no fatalities.
2 April 1986 - Trans World Airlines Flight 840
A Boeing 727 preparing to land at Athens, Greece, was badly damaged by
a bomb explosion. The device consisted of 1 lb of plastic explosive placed under a seat cushion. The detonation
blew a 24 ft² (2.25 m²) hole in the fuselage resulting in a rapid decompression of the cabin that sucked four
people out to their deaths, including an infant. Another five people suffered injuries but 110 passengers and crew
survived and the plane landed safely. A Lebanese woman was suspected of placing the bomb aboard during a previous
flight. She was arrested and believed to work for the Abu Nidal organization, but the woman was not convicted due
to lack of evidence. A group called the Arab Revolutionary Cells claimed responsibility for the attack in
retaliation for America's involvement in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and skirmishes between the US and
Libya the previous week.
17 April 1986 - El Al Israel Airlines
An Irish woman named Anne Marie Murphy was preparing to board an El Al flight from London to Tel Aviv, Israel. The
Boeing 747 was due to carry 375 passengers plus crew. Murphy was
pregnant and had been sent on the flight by her Palestinian fiancé, Nezar Hindawi, ostensibly to meet Hindawi's
parents and receive their blessing to marry. Hindawi also gave Murphy a bag that supposedly contained gifts for
his parents. As security agents searched Murphy's luggage, they instead discovered 3.25 lb of semtex explosives
and a timer triggering device hidden beneath a false bottom in the bag. Once told about the bomb, Murphy
reportedly exclaimed, "the bastard tried to kill me!" Had the plot succeeded, the bomb would have detonated while
the aircraft was flying over Austria. Nezar Hindawi was arrested the next day and claimed he had acted on behalf
of Syrian intelligence officers who provided him money, the explosive device, and Syrian documentation that would
allow him to escape the UK after the attack. Hindawi was sentenced to 45 years in prison.
3 May 1986 - Air Lanka Flight 512
Air Lanka UL512 left London with stops in Zürich, Switzerland, and Dubai before reaching Colombo, Sri Lanka. The
Lockheed L-1011 was parked at the terminal preparing to continue on to the Maldives Islands when an explosive
concealed in an onboard cargo crate exploded. The blast ripped the plane in half killing 21 and injuring 41 of the
128 passengers and crew. The bomb was most likely planted by Tamil rebels to sabotage peace talks between the
Tamils and the Sri Lankan government.
26 October 1986 - Thai Airways International Flight 620
Flight 620 left Bangkok, Thailand, for Manila, Philippines, where it continued on to Osaka, Japan. The
Airbus A300 carried 239 people (223 passengers, 16 crew) on the second
leg of the trip. While cruising at 33,000 ft (10,060 m) over Tosa Bay off the coast of Japan, an explosion
occurred in the aft lavatory on the left of the cabin. The blast caused a rapid decompression and damaged two of
the plane's hydraulic systems. The captain and co-pilot initiated an emergency descent but fought to keep the
plane under control. Though exceeding the plane's maximum descent rate by nearly 20%, the pilots managed to
recover after pulling off a +2.6 g maneuver. The heavily damaged aircraft managed to land safely at Osaka with no
fatalities. The cause of the blast was a hand grenade a passenger was attempting to smuggle into Japan that
exploded in the lavatory.
29 November 1987 - Korean Air Flight 858
KAL 858 was a Boeing 707 departing Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, via
Bangkok, Thailand, for Seoul, South Korea. The plane mysteriously vanished over the Andaman Sea near Thailand
while carrying 115 people (104 passengers, 11 crew). South Korean officials claim a pair of North Korean agents
who disembarked from the aircraft at Abu Dhabi left a radio and a liquor bottle in the overhead luggage bin at row
7. Contained within the radio was C-4 while the liquor bottle held PLX explosives. The two agents were arrested
shortly after the bombing but one committed suicide. The second claimed the attack had been ordered by
Kim Jong-il, the current leader of North Korea, but firm evidence has remained elusive.
1 March 1988 - Commercial Airways Flight 206
An EMBRAER EMB-110 crashed near Johannesburg, South Africa, killing all 17 aboard (15 passengers, 2 crew). The
plane had been preparing to land when a nitroglycerine and ammonium nitrate bomb exploded. The crash was blamed
on one of the passengers, a mineworker, with large life insurance policies who is suspected of committing suicide.
21 December 1988 - Pan American World Airways Flight 103
Pan Am 103 departed London bound for New York City when the Boeing 747
was destroyed over Lockerbie, Scotland. The plane was brought down by 340 to 450 grams of plastic explosives
hidden in a radio cassette player that was detonated in the forward cargo hold. The bombing killed 270 people
including 243 passengers, 16 crewmembers, and 11 victims on the ground. A three-year joint investigation by the
UK and US concluded two Libyan intelligence officers were behind the plot, and both men were finally turned over by
the Libyan government in 1999. One was convicted in 2001 while the second was acquitted, and Libya agreed to pay
compensation for the attack.
19 September 1989 - Union des Transports Aériens Flight 772
UTA 772 left Brazzaville, Congo, for N'Djamena, Chad aboard a Douglas
DC-10. The flight then departed for Paris carrying 171 people (156 passengers, 15 crew). About 45 minutes
after takeoff, the plane broke up over the Sahara Desert and crashed in Niger following the explosion of a bomb in
the forward cargo hold. The terror group Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility, and a rebel group called the Secret
Chadian Resistance was also suspected. However, explosive residue and part of a timing device were traced to
Libya. Six Libyans were convicted, and the attack is believed to have been in retaliation for France's support of
Chad during conflicts between the two African nations. Libya accepted responsibility for the bombing in 2003 and
agreed to pay compensation to the families of the victims.
27 November 1989 - Avianca Airlines Flight 203
Avianca 203 was a Boeing 727 that took off from Bogotá, Colombia, bound
for Cali. Just five minutes into flight, a bomb on the floor of the starboard side of the passenger cabin at seat
15F detonated. The blast ignited vapors in an empty fuel tank causing a massive explosion that ripped the plane
apart. The crash killed all 107 aboard (101 passengers, 6 crew) as well as 3 people on the ground. The Medellín
drug cartel claimed responsibility for the attack as an attempt to kill presidential candidate Cesare Gaviria.
Gaviria was not aboard but the group's chief assassin was later convicted for the bombing.
18 March 1991 - Aeroflot
An Ilyushin 86 airliner was traveling from Moscow to Novokuznetsk with 360 passengers and crew. One of the
passengers was a psychiatric patient who had snuck an explosive aboard. After throwing the petrol bomb, a fire
ensued forcing an emergency landing at Sverdlovsk. No one aboard was harmed.
19 July 1994 - Alas Chiricanas Flight 00901
An EMBRAER EMB-110 left Colón, Panama, for Panama City when the plane exploded over the Santa Rita Mountains
killing 21 people (18 passengers, 3 crew). Investigators concluded a bomb, probably carried aboard by a suicide
bomber, caused the crash. Twelve of the passengers were Jewish, and an anti-Israeli group claimed responsibility
for the blast. The attack also occurred one day after the AMIA bombing in Buenos Aires that targeted Argentinian
Jews and eight days before a car bombing at the Israeli Embassy in London. All three attacks are believed to have
been orchestrated by Hezbollah, but no arrests have ever been made in connection to the Flight 00901 bombing.
11 December 1994 - Philippine Air Lines Flight 434
PAL434 was a multi-stage flight that first left Manila, Philippines, for Cebu aboard a
Boeing 747. During the flight, a Middle Eastern passenger disappeared
into the lavatory where he assembled the components of a small bomb. The device was placed in the life vest under
his seat 26K before the man disembarked the aircraft. The second leg of the flight departed for Narita, Japan,
carrying 293 people (273 passengers, 20 crew) and a Japanese businessman named Haruki Ikegami occupied seat 26K.
The device detonated four hours later, killing Ikegami and nearly tearing him in two while injuring ten others.
The blast blew a hole through the floor to the cargo compartment below and also severed cables to the plane's
control surfaces. Though steering was crippled, the pilots made an emergency landing in Okinawa and no further
lives were lost.
The man responsible for building and placing the bomb was Ramzi Yousef who had also masterminded the World Trade Center bombing in 1993. Yousef conducted the Philippine Airlines bombing as a test of a much larger plot called Oplan Bojinka during which bombs ten times as powerful would have been smuggled aboard eleven transpacific flights bound for the United States. The attack was to occur on 21 and 22 January 1995 when five Al-Qaeda operatives would sneak bombs aboard Northwest, Delta, and United Airlines flights in the same way Yousef had tested. All eleven bombs were to go off at about the same time causing the aircraft to crash into the Pacific Ocean or the South China Sea. It is estimated that some 4,000 people would have been killed if successful. The plot also grew to include an assassination attempt on the Pope and hijacking an airliner to crash into a target in the United States, most likely CIA headquarters. However, the ambitious plan quickly unraveled after a chemical fire arroused police suspicion. Within a matter of days, several of the conspirators had been captured and confessed eventually leading to the arrest of Yousef himself. He has since been sentenced to life imprisonment for the plot plus another 240 years for his involvement in the first World Trade Center bombing. Elements of Oplan Bojinka inspired both the September 11 attack and the August 2006 plot to bomb transatlantic flights that was foiled in the United Kingdom.
9 July 1997 - TAM Flight 283
A Fokker 100 operated by the Brazilian airline TAM was en route from Sao José dos Campos to Congonhas carrying
60 people (55 passengers, 5 crew). The plane was climbing through 7,875 ft (2,400 m) after takeoff when a bomb
exploded underneath seat 18D. The small bomb contained just seven ounces of explosive but the blast and
decompression blew a 6.5 ft (2 m) hole in the fuselage. The passenger in seat 18E was pulled from the plane and
died, but the remainder of the occupants survived after an emergency landing at São Paulo. A failed suicide
attempt was blamed as the motive.
22 December 2001 - American Airlines Flight 63
Shortly after the September 11 attacks, a terrorist named Richard Reid boarded a
Boeing 767 headed from Paris to Miami. As the plane flew across the
Atlantic Ocean, Reid attempted to detonate a bomb he had carried aboard in his shoes. His shoes were later found
to contain 100 grams of plasticized TATP and PETN explosives strong enough to blow a large hole in the fuselage
that most likely would have doomed the aircraft. A flight attendant first noticed Reid's actions and tried to stop
him, but a group of flight attendants and passengers was ultimately needed to subdue the suicide bomber. The
flight diverted to Boston where Reid was arrested, and he has since been sentenced to life in prison.
24 August 2004 - Volga-AviaExpress Flight 1303
A wave of terror attacks on Russia began with a pair of bombings aboard two airliners. The first was
Volga-AviaExpress 1303, a Tu-134 flying from Moscow to Volgograd. Contact with the plane was lost about 26
minutes after takeoff when witnesses on the ground reported seeing a large explosion. All 43 occupants (34
passengers, 9 crew) were killed. Later investigation found the crash was caused by a female suicide bomber named
Amanta Nagayeva who was from the separatist region of Chechnya.
24 August 2004 - Siberia Airlines Flight 1047
Minutes after the Volga-AviaExpress crash, a Siberia Airlines flight from Moscow to Sochi also disappeared. The
Tu-154 was carrying 46 people (38 passengers, 8 crew) and reportedly broadcast a hijack warning shortly before
crashing. There were no survivors. This attack was also made by a female Chechen suicide bomber named Satsita
Dzhebirkhanova. A group called Islambouli Brigade initially claimed responsibility for the two bombings, but
leading Chechen terrorist Shamil Basayev denied this and took responsibility for organizing the attack. A week
after the two airline attacks, a bomb at the Moscow subway station killed 10 people. Shortly thereafter, the
Beslan hostage crisis in September led to the deaths of 335.
Summary
These cases graphically demonstrate the dangers explosives have posed to commercial aviation in over 70 years of recorded crashes. The full extent of these airline bombings can be appreciated when considering them in total. The 80 criminal acts detailed above destroyed 47 aircraft and damaged 29 more resulting in 2,596 deaths and 126 injuries. At least 29 of the bombings are known or strongly suspected to be terrorist attacks while 12 were a combination of suicide or murder attempts often coupled with insurance schemes. Three bombings were due to miscellaneous or accidental causes while the motive behind the remaining 36 is undetermined.
These statistics are summarized below by year. Bombings were worst during the 1970s and 1980s and at least one incident occurred every year from 1964 through 1989 with the lone exception of 1977. The single worst year was 1985 when five attacks resulted in 332 deaths, nearly all of these aboard Air India 182 alone. Airline bombings became less common through the 1990s and into the 21st century, but terrorism remains a grave threat to commercial air travel as shown by the hijackings and suicide attacks of 11 September 2001.
The UK terror arrests make it clear that bombings of commercial aircraft are likely to continue and will be even
deadlier given the increasing size of modern planes. In part two of this article, we will describe new
technologies developed to detect explosives before they make it aboard aircraft as well as methods of limiting
their damage when they do detonate.
- answer by Jeff Scott, 13 August 2006
Update!
Additional cases of airline bombings since this article was originally written are described below.
7 March 2008 - China Southern Airlines
A Boeing 757 operated by China Southern departed Urumqi in western
China. The flight carried a 19-year-old female passenger who smuggled gasoline aboard by draining soda cans of
their contents and injecting them full of fuel using a syringe. The woman was a frequent traveler who exploited
her familiarity with airport personnel to bypass rules banning liquids on planes. She also used fragrances to
disguise the distinctive smell of the gasoline. About 40 minutes after takeoff, the woman took the cans into a
bathroom near the wing fuel tanks and tried to start a fire. She was discovered by members of the flight crew
who prevented her attempt and made an emergency landing in Lanzhou with no injuries. The woman was reportedly a
member of China's Uighur Muslim minority and the motivation for the attack is believed to be jihadist terrorism.
Read More Articles:
|
|
|
|
Aircraft | Design | Ask Us | Shop | Search |
|
|
| About Us | Contact Us | Copyright © 1997-2008 | |||
|
|
|||
