Summary
Date 21 December 1988.
Site Lockerbie, Scotland.
Passengers/Crew 243/16
Fatalities (Pax/Crew/Ground) 243/16/11
Aircraft type Boeing 747-121 (Tail number: N739PA)
Route London, Heathrow to New York, JFK.
Synopsis
On the 21st of December 1988, Pan Am flight 103 en route from London, Heathrow to New York’s JFK, disintegrated in the skies above the small Scottish town of Lockerbie, killing all on board the aircraft and eleven people on the ground. This became known as the Lockerbie bombing. The cause of the explosion was a terrorist barometric bomb that went off once the aircraft reached cruise altitude.
The cause of the crash was not known until investigations uncovered a tiny piece of debris that was later linked to a similar barometric explosive device.
The contribution this crash and subsequent investigation made to safety in aviation are immense. It provided the first cause and study into the now mandatory stringent security measures in place at airports around the world.
Animation of explosion and Part 1 of 5
| (Video embedded from YouTube on 4 October 2010) | (Video embedded from YouTube on 4 October 2010) |
Part 2 and 3 of 5.
| (Video embedded from YouTube on 4 October 2010) | (Video embedded from YouTube on 4 October 2010) |
Part 4 and 5 of 5.
| (Video embedded from YouTube on 4 October 2010) | (Video embedded from YouTube on 4 October 2010) |
References.
ZDF. Airplane Disruption over Lockerbie. Retrieved from YouTube on 4 October 2010.
National Geographic Channel. Lockerbie. Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 retrieved from YouTube on 4 October 2010.
Wikipedia. Pan Am Flight 103 Retrieved from Wikipedia, on 4 October 2010.
Want to know more?
Wikipedia: Offering an in-depth look into the Lockerbie Bombing of Pan Am Flight 103.
