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Back then, these wreckage-littered fields six miles outside the Scottish town bore witness to the horrifying bombing of Pan-Am flight 103 in the skies above. A family of four was killed when their house at 15 Sherwood Crescent exploded. Pan Am flight 103 | Overview, Crash, Victims, & Facts Eladia Slade. [19] One of the Frankfurt security screeners, whose job was to spot explosive devices under X-ray, told ABC News that she had first learned what Semtex (a plastic explosive) was during her ABC interview 11 months after the bombing. Of the 270 total fatalities, 190 were American citizens and 43 were British citizens. The fuselage of the aircraft was reconstructed by air accident investigators, revealing a 20-inch (510mm) hole consistent with an explosion in the forward cargo hold. Pan Am Flight 103 - Tiki-Toki Listen to article. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. [161] This play has received the Silver Medal from the Onassis International Playwriting Competition and the Kennedy Center Fund for New American Plays award. As the fire trucks crested a hill a few miles away from Lockerbie, we could see the glow, Jardine said. All 259 people on board were killed, as well as 11 people in the town of . I remember families saying they were in these vans with Scottish police officers driving 100 miles an hour down the autobahn trying to get them to the court, Turman said. Two of Pan Am's subsidiaries, Alert Management Inc., which handles Pan Am's security at foreign airports, and Pan American World Services, were also found guilty. He survived for almost three more years. For Dick Marquise, who had been in charge of the FBIs investigation, and other investigators who worked tirelessly on behalf of the victims, the trials results were decidedly mixed. In August 2009, he was released by the Scottish government on compassionate grounds after being diagnosed with prostate cancer. Demands for such an inquiry emerged later, and became more insistent. Over the years we have effected a lot of change for security, he said. After hospital treatment ended, he returned to his family home. The plane had reached a height of approximately 31,000 feet (9,500 metres) and was preparing for the oceanic portion of the flight when a timer-activated bomb detonated. It offered us some comfort to know my fathers body had been looked after, to hope that he had lost consciousness and that his experience of what happened to him was minimal. The lecture, "It was known as the place where nothing ever happens. The bomb, constructed with the odourless plastic explosive Semtex, was hidden in a cassette player that was stored in a suitcase. On Dec. 21, 1988, Pan Am Flight 103, en route from London's Heathrow Airport to New York, exploded over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing all 243 passengers, 16 crew members and 11 people on the ground. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. I think the bigger message is that this was an act of terrorism. The same source claims that, following this, "the shaking stopped and to his surprise he was uninjured". Dad was cremated so we dont have a grave or marker to visit. A bombing suspect in the 1988 explosion aboard Pan Am Flight 103 has The attack on Pan Am flight 103 killed 270 people, including 190 Americans. Libya said it had to accept responsibility due to Megrahi's status as a government employee.[4]. Omissions? On Saturday, accompanied by 70 supporters, they cycled from Lockerbie to Edinburgh Castle. The Scottish court agreed, allowing a live feed of the trial to two sites in the United Kingdomone in Scotland and one in Londonand a delayed, taped feed broadcast to locations in New York and Washington, D.C. 2 Passengers On Flight 103 Might Have Survived, Pathologist Says [36] A couple and their daughter were killed by the explosion in their house at 16 Sherwood Crescent. 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[158] A memorial plaque and garden in memory of its two students lost in the bombing is set in the University of Rochester's Eastman Quadrangle. In 1998 Qaddafi finally accepted a proposal to extradite the men. News4's Derrick Ward reports about what that means for loved ones of some of the local victims. In many ways, the reverberations are still being felt today. [54] The Iranian foreign ministry swiftly denied any involvement. [66], On 21 December 2020, the 32nd anniversary of the disaster, the United States attorney general announced that Abu Agela Mas'ud Kheir Al-Marimi, a Libyan national in custody in Libya, had been charged with terrorism-related crimes in connection with the bombing, accusing him of involvement in constructing the bomb. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. At Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, a memorial cairn constructed of 270 stonesone for each of the victims of Pan Am Flight 103 who came from 21 different countriesis the sight of an annual service on the anniversary of the disaster, December 21. In 2009 Megrahi, who had been diagnosed with terminal cancer, was released from prison in Scotland on compassionate grounds and allowed to return to Libya; the United States strongly disagreed with the Scottish governments decision. Transcript of the proceedings of the Scottish court in the Netherlands 2001, day 86. People were turning up for duty that had just finished a 10-hour shift but were prepared to come back out and work again right through the night., Harry Bell was a 42-year-old detective stationed near Glasgow, more than an hour away from Lockerbie. "[86], On 25 July 2009, Megrahi applied to be released from jail on compassionate grounds. Libyan leader Muammar al-Qaddafi refused to turn over the two suspects. The Maltese government responded saying that the demand for a UN inquiry was "an interesting development that would be deeply considered, although there were complex issues surrounding the event. Inside each sculpture there is a personal memento of the victim. Then, two Libyan radio ships were sunk in the Gulf of Sidra. For the hijacking in Karachi, see, Abu Agila Mohammad Mas'ud Kheir Al-Marimi. [citation needed], At 19:02:44, Alan Topp, the clearance delivery officer at Shanwick, transmitted its oceanic route clearance. The Sorrow Over Lockerbie (Flight 103) 747 Crash Bomb Pan Am. The nose cone landed a few miles away in a field opposite a church, images of which would become an iconic testament to the tragedy. There were hundreds of passengers brought into the town hall. Streamline your workflow with our best-in-class digital asset management system. What Syracuse has done is truly remarkable, Weipz said. [58] Gauci was shown the same magazine during his testimony at al-Megrahi's trial and asked if he had identified the photograph in April 1999 as being the person who purchased the clothing; he was then asked if that person was in the court. The child was the first victim to arrive at what became a makeshift mortuary, but the young constable never discovered who she was, until a chance meeting with the farmer's son finally solved the mystery. Investigators believed that two Libyan intelligence agents were responsible for the bombing; many speculated that the attack had been retaliation for a 1986 U.S. bombing campaign against Libyas capital city, Tripoli. He previously served three years in the U.S. Navy and five years in the Massachusetts Air National Guard, where he held the rank of major. These aviators lost their pensions, healthcare, savings, and livelihoods when . Loved Ones Remember Victims Lockerbie Bombing; Suspect in Custody Some of the Lockerbie women volunteered to clean soldiers uniforms, and that thoughtfulness turned into something more. [23] The explosion in the aircraft hold was magnified by the uncontrolled decompression of the fuselage - a large difference in pressure between the aircraft's interior and exterior. Ruined houses in the town of Lockerbie after the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 from London to New York in 1988. The bodies of Captain MacQuarrie, his copilot and the flight engineer were found still strapped into their seats. [103], Until 2002, Libya had never formally admitted carrying out the 1988 Lockerbie bombing. As they do every year on the anniversary of the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing, family members, along with investigators, prosecutors, and officials from Scotland, the FBI, and the Department of Justice, mark the occasion at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. We very much had a tradition where the court building was sacrosanct, McCulloch said. December 2010: Leaked secret US cables reveal UK faced Libyan threats if al-Megrahi died in jail. Shortly after 19:00 on 21 December 1988, while the aircraft was in flight over the Scottish town of Lockerbie, it was destroyed by . Pan Am Flight 103 was a regularly scheduled Pan Am transatlantic flight from Frankfurt to Detroit via a stopover in London and another in New York City. [20] The property was completely destroyed and its two occupants were killed. DUMFRIES, Scotland (AP) _ Two passengers might have survived the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 had they received the best medical care immediately, a Scottish pathologist testified Wednesday. It was like war for them, said Lockerbie resident Moira Shearer, speaking of the young soldiers who had never seen death before. [93], Allegations have been made that the UK government and BP sought Al-Megrahi's release as part of a trade deal with Libya. Syracuse Universitys Pan Am Flight 103/Lockerbie Air Disaster Archives, Remembering Pan Am Flight 103: 30 Years Later, Remembering Pan Am Flight 103: David Jardine, Remembering Pan Am Flight 103: George Stobbs, Remembering Pan Am Flight 103: Stuart Cossar, Remembering Pan Am Flight 103: Harry Bell, Remembering Pan Am Flight 103: Dick Marquise, Remembering Pan Am Flight 103: Kathryn Turman, Remembering Pan Am Flight 103: Tom McCullough, Remembering Pan Am Flight 103: The 'Laundry Ladies', Remembering Pan Am Flight 103: Alex Smith, Remembering Pan Am Flight 103: Graeme Galloway, Remembering Pan Am Flight 103: Katie Berrell, Remembering Pan Am Flight 103: Kara Weipz, Remembering Pan Am Flight 103: Mary Kay Stratis, Remembering Pan Am Flight 103: Carole Johnson, Remembering Pan Am Flight 103: Vanessa St. Oegger-Menn, FBI.gov is an official site of the U.S. Department of Justice. On the ground in Lockerbie, it was early evening. [9][25], Flight 103 was under the command of Captain James B. MacQuarrie (55), a Pan Am pilot since 1964 with almost 11,000 flight hours, of which over 4,000 had been accrued in 747 aircraft. The fuselage continued moving forward and down until it reached 19,000ft (5,800m), when its dive became nearly vertical. There is a semicircular stone wall in the garden of remembrance with the names and nationalities of all the victims along with individual funeral stones and memorials. Remembrance Week 2022 Begins on Sunday | Syracuse University News The schools chancellor, Melvin Eggers, announced the establishment of a Remembrance Scholarship fund and plans for a memorial on campus. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. The Connells had even asked to take dad in to the warm but were told they couldnt because evidence was still being collected. The planes wings, along with tanks carrying 100 tons of jet fuel, plummeted into Lockerbies Sherwood Crescent neighborhood, creating an inferno and a crater more than 150 feet deep that registered miles away as a seismic event. 3 Steve was one of the first . "[135], Another top legal firm in the US, Speiser Krause, which represented 60 relatives, of whom half were UK families, concluded contingency deals securing them fees of between 28 and 35% of individual settlements. 2:54 PM EST, Mon December 12, 2022. The Dumfries and Galloway Constabularythen the smallest mainland police force in the United Kingdom, with fewer than two dozen of its approximately 300 officers serving Lockerbietook command of the scene. Following a three-year joint investigation by Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary and the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), arrest warrants were issued for two Libyan nationals in November 1991. [38] The bodies of both 15 Sherwood Crescent children and both 16 Sherwood Crescent parents were never recovered. The Pan Am Flight 103 exploded 31,000 feet over Lockerbie. At this point, the Clipper Maid of the Seas was flying at 31,000 feet (9,400m) on a heading of 316 magnetic, and at a speed of 313kn (580km/h; 360mph) calibrated airspeed. I said, no, they havent stopped, they wont ever stop.. Thats the only way you are going to prevent attacks and solve attacks. The grounds of the appeal rested on two areas of evidence where the defence claimed the original court was mistaken: the evidence of Maltese shopkeeper, Tony Gauci, which the judges accepted as sufficient to prove that the "primary suitcase" started its journey in Malta; and, disputing the prosecution's case, fresh evidence would be adduced to show that the bomb's journey actually started at Heathrow. . On the ground, 11 residents of Lockerbie were killed when the planes burning wings plunged into a quiet neighborhood just after dinner. Within minutes of running outside with his father, their home had burned to the ground. Remembrance Week Lecture on Trauma, Identity, Community and the 1988 The American peopleand our adversariesneed to know that we dont give up.. terrorist bombing, over Lockerbie, Scotland, United Kingdom [1988]. Megrahi was found guilty of 270 counts of murder on 31 January 2001, and was sentenced to life imprisonment in Scotland; his co-defendant, Fhimah, was found not guilty. As a result, the United States and the United Nations Security Council imposed economic sanctions against Libya. Steven was laid to rest with his brother and sister in a Lockerbie graveyard. Thats the most important thing you can do. He went on to describe the families of the Lockerbie victims as very greedy: "They were asking for more money and more money and more money". As of 2008, the remaining wreckage of the aircraft was stored about a mile from Tattershall, Lincolnshire, at Roger Windley's scrapyard (53719.35N 01258.09W / 53.1220417N 0.2161361W / 53.1220417; -0.2161361 (Windley's Scrapyard)), pending the conclusion of the American victims' civil case and further legal proceedings. All were originally hired by Pan Am and seniority ranged from 9 months to 28 years. The application to the SCCRC followed the publication of two reports in February 2001 and March 2002 by Hans Kchler, who had been an international observer at Camp Zeist, appointed by the Secretary-General of the United Nations. He died on May 20, 2012. [128][129], On 29 September 1989, President Bush appointed Ann McLaughlin Korologos, former Secretary of Labor, to chair the President's Commission on Aviation Security and Terrorism (PCAST) to review and report on aviation security policy in the light of the sabotage of flight PA103. After a three-year joint investigation by Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary and the US FBI, during which 15,000 witness statements were taken, indictments for murder were issued on 13 November 1991 against Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, a Libyan intelligence officer and the head of security for Libyan Arab Airlines (LAA), and Lamin Khalifah Fhimah, the LAA station manager in Luqa Airport, Malta. Shortly after finishing his longtime run at the job, Mas'ud was arrested and imprisoned in Misurata, Libya before being moved to Al-Hadba prison in Tripoli, which happened shortly after the fall of Colonel el-Qaddafi in 2011. [137], A civil action against Libya continued until 18 February 2005 on behalf of Pan Am and its insurers, which went bankrupt partly as a result of the attack. Thirty-five of the passengers were students from Syracuse University, who participated in the university's Division of International Programs Abroad (abbreviated as "DIPA Program" and renamed to "Syracuse University Abroad" in 2006, while also known as "Syracuse Abroad" and "Study Abroad Program") and were returning home for Christmas following a semester in Syracuse's London and European campuses. [133][132], On 15 August 2003, Libya's UN ambassador, Ahmed Own, submitted a letter to the UN Security Council formally accepting "responsibility for the actions of its officials" in relation to the Lockerbie bombing. The cargo area has been the site of explosives in past bombings, including that of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. It was one of the most satisfying experiences of my career, Turman said. The aircraft did not acknowledge this message. Megrahi was ultimately found guilty and jailed for a minimum of 27 years. We didnt disclose a great deal of material to victims for fear that it would somehow damage the investigation., The magnitude of this case required new thinking. Kchler described the decisions of the trial and appeal courts as a "spectacular miscarriage of justice". One of the newly released documents is a letter from the Foreign Office in 1989. He died in May 2012 as the only person to be convicted for the attack. "The farmer was there and it was his father who'd brought the child to the town hall. Bryony Owen and her mum Yvonne both died in the bombing, Colin Dorrance pictured now and during his earlier days in the force. Both of the accused chose not to give evidence in court. About 7:00 pm on December 21, Pan Am flight 103, a Boeing 747 en route to New York City from London, exploded over Lockerbie, Scotland. But at Arlington National Cemetery this year, some of their grandchildren will be in attendance. Lockerbie is changed. [105], The motive that is generally attributed to Libya can be traced back to a series of military confrontations with the US Navy that took place in the 1980s in the Gulf of Sidra, the whole of which Libya claimed as its territorial waters. After 30 years, some of the founding members of the family group have died, others have grown old. Clipper Maid of the Seas approached the corner of the Solway Firth at 19:01, and crossed the coast at 19:02 UTC. In fact, many have vowed never to forget, to make sure the lessons of Lockerbie are not lost on future generations. "It was the body of a child he'd found in a field at the back of his farm," he said. Chapter 13 Notes - Leadership - 13 Leadership in Crisis The Crucible of [97] Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond said that people should use the occasion to remember the Lockerbie victims. All 259 on board die, and 11 on ground. Mothers and fathers, grandparents, children as young as 2 months old, and college students returning home from a study abroad program lost their lives in what was the largest terrorist attack in American history until 9/11. It then sheared off, up, and backwards to starboard, striking off the number-three engine and landing some distance outside the town, on a hill in Tundergarth. The level of collaboration at the trial between the FBI, Department of Justice, and other federal law enforcement agencies, along with Scottish partnerswho had already set a remarkable example of compassion toward victims in the aftermath of the bombingforged a connection between family members, investigators, and victim advocates that exists to this day. [104] The letter stated that it "accepted responsibility for the actions of its officials". Over three years, investigators from the United States, Britain, Germany and other countries questioned more than 15,000 people in more than 30 countries and collected thousands of pieces of evidence. Dec. 21, 1988: Pan Am Flight 103 explodes 31,000 feet over Lockerbie, Scotland, 38 minutes after takeoff from London. "[51], In December 2013, the original prime suspects in the bombing were revealed to have been the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine General Command (PFLP-GC), a Syria-based group led by Ahmed Jibril. Jalil's comments came on a day when Ghaddafi's defiance and refusal to leave his command prompted his brutal attacks on Libyan protesters. My children are now laying the groundwork as to how they want to approach this with their children, said Mary Kay Stratis, whose husband died on Pan Am Flight 103. The people of the town washed, dried, and ironed every piece of clothing that was found once the police had determined they were of no forensic value, so that as many items as possible could be returned to the relatives. [7], The aircraft operating Pan Am Flight 103 was a Boeing 747-121, registered N739PA[8] and named Clipper Maid of the Seas;[9] prior to 1979, it had been named Clipper Morning Light. [107] The Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi, was accused of retaliating for these sinkings by ordering the April 1986 bombing of La Belle, a West Berlin nightclub frequented by US military personnel, killing three people and injuring 230. At the time he was in custody in Libya. As many as 25 homes were destroyed. The FBI released information on more than 6 million criminal offenses submitted to its National Incident-Based Reporting System last year, as law enforcement continues transitioning to the more robust system. Lockerbie bomb victims relatives say their fight for justice goes on after claims they were bugged by the British security services. File photo from December 22, 1988 shows rescue personnel carrying a body . 34 years later: Remembering local victims of 1988 Pan Am Flight 103 bombing Acting as a money mule, or moving illegally acquired funds at the direction of another person, aids the work of criminals and is itself a crime. The airline was seeking $4.5billion for the loss of the aircraft and the effect on the airline's business. Pan Am Flight 103 Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images The attack resulted in a devastating defeat for Gaddafi's forces, following which he had to accede to a ceasefire ending the Chadian-Libyan conflict and his dreams of African dominance. During the First Libyan Civil War in 2011, former Minister of Justice Mustafa Abdul Jalil claimed that the Libyan leader had personally ordered the bombing,[3] while investigators have long believed that Megrahi did not act alone, and have been reported as questioning retired Stasi agents about a possible role in the attack. Pan Am Flight 103 - Wikipedia [160], The Women of Lockerbie (2003) is a play written by Deborah Brevoort which depicts a woman from New Jersey roaming the hills of Lockerbie, Scotland. The cabin crew was based at Heathrow and lived in the London area or commuted from around Europe. . On December 21, 1988, Pan Am Flight 103 exploded 31,000 feet over Lockerbie, Scotland, 38 minutes after takeoff from London. Mum started crying. We update each other on what both organizations are doing, we have regular face-to-face meetings, whether in the U.S. or Scotland, and we keep in contact., If I had a message to tell the families and people around the world, Cossar added, it is that this is very much a live investigation, and we are hopeful that at some point in the future we will have potentially another trial and possibly another conviction.. Out Of The Lockerbie Bombing, A Bond And A 'Letter Of Note' - NPR.org Thursday 22 December 1988 was the first day of a changed Lockerbie. [141] On 14 August 2008, a US-Libya compensation deal was signed in Tripoli by US Assistant Secretary of State David Welch and Libya's Foreign Ministry head of America affairs, Ahmed al-Fatroui.