[74][75][76], On 28 June 2007, the SCCRC announced its decision to refer Megrahi's case to the High Court for a second appeal against conviction. Its nice to come here, she explained. Some wanted to know exactly where their loved ones body had been recovered. All 259 people on board were killed . [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. The suitcase was then routed to a feeder flight in Frankfurt bound for Londons Heathrow Airport, where it was ultimately loaded onto the doomed jet. It was on such a trip on Friday that Colin finally discovered who the child was. On 29 May 2002, Libya offered up to US$2.7billion to settle claims by the families of the 270 killed in the Lockerbie bombing, representing US$10million per family. 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. Mum had been so worried about him dying alone in the cold of the Scottish countryside. This Timeline displays events related to the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 and was created by the Pan Am Flight 103/Lockerbie Air Disaster Archives at Syracuse University to commemorate the 25th Anniversary of the tragedy. Kreindler argued that the fees were justified, since "Over the past seven years we have had a dedicated team working tirelessly on this and we deserve the contingency fee we have worked so hard for, and I think we have provided the relatives with value for money. For the FBI, Pan Am Flight 103 was a watershed event. [1] Large sections of the aircraft crashed in a residential street in Lockerbie, killing 11 residents. appreciated. Alan Dron. I actually saw a wrought iron gate melting. All 259 people on board were killed, as well as 11 people in the town of . Victoria Cummock's husband was among the 259 passengers who died after a bomb exploded on Pan Am Flight 103 on Dec. 21, 1988, just north of the England-Scotland border. When he got news of the crash, he made his way to Lockerbie near midnight and was placed in charge of an area called Sector B. All Rights Reserved. People had gone through a lot of different life experiences since then, but almost everyone had an avid interest in the trial.. The five judges rejected the appeal, ruling unanimously that "none of the grounds of appeal was well-founded", adding "this brings proceedings to an end". [53] In 2014, an Iranian ex-spy asserted that Iran ordered the attack. 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. Swire and many other UK relatives have never believed in the guilt of the man convicted of the bombing, Abdelbaset al-Megrahi. The US Defense Intelligence Agency alleges that Ali Akbar Mohtashamipur (Ayatollah Mohtashemi), a member of the Iranian government, paid US$10million for the bombing: Ayatollah Mohtashemi: () and was the one who paid the same amount to bomb Pan Am Flight 103 in retaliation for the 310.[127]. We wanted to do justice by these families.. Geographical boundaries were drawn into sectors, and a dedicated team was assigned to each. Streamline your workflow with our best-in-class digital asset management system. Pan Am 103's casualties included 11 victims in the Scottish town of Lockerbie, who were struck by falling wreckage. On Dec. 21, 1988, a bomb went off on a Pan Am passenger plane flying over Lockerbie, Scotland, causing a midair explosion that sent the aircraft crashing down. The unaccompanied bag is believed to have been transferred to a Pan Am flight to London and then to Flight 103. Working through the quiet overnight, said Galloway, who is near retirement after a 30-year career in law enforcement, you get a lot of time to thinkjust to see the peoples lives you were looking at, the clothing, the suitcases that used to belong to someone., And while one should never forget that the bombing was caused by an act of terror, you can also see the goodness in the people who have to react, Galloway added. The Boeing 747, known as the Clipper Maid of the Seas, left London Heathrow with 243 passengers and 16 crew members, including 189 Americans. Everybody wanted to do something to help.. Its clear we were considered to be a mischief.. In December 1988, Franks family were wracked by grief as it became clear he had perished along with 258 other passengers and crew in the explosion on his way home to the US for Christmas on the night of the 21st. Megrahi was released on licence, so was obliged to remain in regular contact with East Renfrewshire Council. In October 2015, Scottish officials announced that two additional Libyans had been identified as suspects in the bombing. The FBI has been a constant presence, said Mary Kay Stratis, a New Jersey resident who lost her husband, Elia, on Pan Am Flight 103 and who is board chair of the victims group. Nineteen other nationalities were represented, with four or fewer passengers per country. A flight attendant was found alive by a farmer's wife, but died before help could be summoned. Within a week of what Scottish authorities were calling the Lockerbie air disaster, it was determined that Pan Am Flight 103 had been destroyed by a bomb. Suddenly there was a tremendous crash outside, and the neighborhood was ablaze. As the forward fuselage continued to disintegrate, the flying debris tore off both of the horizontal stabilizers, while the rear fuselage, the remaining three engines, and the fin torque box separated. June Wilson died last year. [20]:4 Investigators determined that both wings had landed in the Sherwood Crescent crater, saying, "the total absence of debris from the wing primary structure found remote from the crater confirmed the initial impression that the complete wing box structure had been present at the main impact. The Lockerbie bombing, as it came to be known, took 270 lives that evening of Dec. 21, 1988, killing everyone aboard along with 11 residents in the small Scottish town. [97], In 2020, US authorities indicted Libyan national, Abu Agila Mohammad Mas'ud Kheir Al-Marimi, for participating in the bombing. 1 The disputed territory of Western Sahara is mostly occupied and administered by Morocco; the Polisario Front claims the territory in militating for the establishment an independ Frank Granito of Speiser Krause noted that "the rewards in the US are more substantial than anywhere else in the world but nobody has questioned the fee whilst the work has been going on, it is only now as we approach a resolution when the criticism comes your way. Jalil's comments came on a day when Ghaddafi's defiance and refusal to leave his command prompted his brutal attacks on Libyan protesters. Then a loud noise was recorded on the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) at 19:02:50. Kchler described the decisions of the trial and appeal courts as a "spectacular miscarriage of justice". It was just a case of moving on then, but in years since it was something that bothered me. Lockerbie bombing suspect to make first court appearance on Monday in Washington. [11][13] In 1978, as Clipper Morning Light, it had appeared in "Conquering the Atlantic", the fourth episode of the BBC Television documentary series Diamonds in the Sky, presented by Julian Pettifer.[14]. [20] A British Airways pilot, flying the LondonGlasgow shuttle near Carlisle, called Scottish authorities to report that he could see a huge fire on the ground. [159], At Cornell University funds from the Libyan payment were used to establish a memorial professorship in honor of student Kenneth J. The family groups stated goals are to discover the truth about the bombing and to seek justice for their loved ones, to make sure the airline industry maintains and improves safety, to educate the public about Pan Am Flight 103, and to support one another. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. The next stage will see the group cycling 600 miles from the Lockerbie memorial at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia to Syracuse University, which lost 35 students in the bombing. [140], Following discussions in London in May 2008, US and Libyan officials agreed to start negotiations to resolve all outstanding bilateral compensation claims, including those relating to UTA Flight 772, the 1986 Berlin discotheque bombing and Pan Am Flight 103. Abdel-Jalil stepped down as minister of justice in protest over the violence against anti-government demonstrations. March 2004: Tony Blair offers Gaddafi hand of friendship.. In all, 270 souls perished. Megrahi's appeal against his conviction was refused on 14 March 2002, and his application to the European Court of Human Rights was declared inadmissible in July 2003. The clear inference which we draw from this evidence is that the conception, planning and execution of the plot which led to the planting of the explosive device was of Libyan origin. [10] It was the 15th 747 built, and was delivered in February 1970,[11][12] one month after the first 747 entered service with Pan Am. [113] The result was Gaddafi's lingering animosity against the two countries which led to Libyan support for the bombings of Pan Am Flight 103 and UTA Flight 772. Two hundred and fifty-nine people on board the New York-bound Boeing 747 were killed, along with 11 people on the ground. "The mystery if that's what you want to call it was laid to rest.". Abu Agila Mohammad Mas'ud Kheir Al-Marimi was said to be the "third conspirator" behind the downing of Pan Am flight 103 in 1988. Lockerbie Air Disaster Subject File. We all laid roses at the tree Hugh and Margaret had planted at the spot where they found dad and went to see the memorial in the town. It was en route to New York. The flight was in route from Heathrow Airport London to New York City. The "Shatter Zone" Portion Of The Reconstructed Fuselage Of Pan Am Flight 103, Which Exploded Over Lockerbie In 1988 Is On Display January 31, 2001. "[20]:16 This field, located opposite Tundergarth Church, is where the wreckage most easily identified with images of the accident in the media fell, having fallen "almost flat on its left side, but with a slight nose-down attitude. Some of the Lockerbie women volunteered to clean soldiers uniforms, and that thoughtfulness turned into something more. Those who knew and loved these people will never forget the moment they discovered the nearly unbearable truth. Looking back, it was building those relationships that allowed us to come together to share information that led to an eventual solution in the case.. The firm's fees could exceed US$300million eventually. Hugh said he was still strapped in his seat and had his sleeves rolled up. 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. [44], On 13 December, the warning was posted on bulletin boards in the US Embassy in Moscow and eventually distributed to the entire American community there, including journalists and businessmen. Omissions? Investigators from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch of the British Department for Transport concluded that the nose of the aircraft was blown off and separated from the main fuselage within three seconds of the explosion. The New York-bound Boeing 747, named Maid of the Seas, was passing five miles above the . "[144], In an interview shown in BBC Two's The Conspiracy Files: Lockerbie[145] on 31 August 2008, Saif Gaddafi said that Libya had admitted responsibility for the Lockerbie bombing simply to get trade sanctions removed. Megrahi was ultimately found guilty and jailed for a minimum of 27 years. (5 minutes) LOCKERBIE, ScotlandThe sky rained fire on a chill December night here in 1988. But while they wept, tormented by their imagination of what had happened to 45-year-old Frank, thousands of miles away astonished farmers Margaret and Hugh Connell had discovered him six miles from the town in one of their fields still strapped to his seat, 11B, and almost unmarked. Another 11 people died when the wreckage fell onto the Scottish town which gave the atrocity its name. Published Weipz is also president of the advocacy group Victims of Pan Am Flight 103, Inc. Kara Weipz, whose brother, Richard Monetti, was killed on Pan Am Flight 103, stands at a memorial to the victims at Syracuse University. In August 2009, he was released by the Scottish government on compassionate grounds after being diagnosed with prostate cancer. Hugh struggled to get across the field and had to take the car and were all looking older, but it was important we made that connection again. A flood of warnings immediately preceding the disaster had included one that read: 'team of Palestinians not associated with PLO intends to attack US targets in Europe. 270 people were killed, including 11 people in the town. October 17, 1990. Falling wreckage destroyed 21 houses and killed an additional 11 people on the ground. Organize, control, distribute and measure all of your digital content. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). He would later lead a team of investigators that followed the evidence to Malta. The people of Lockerbie, said Alex Smith, a retired police officer from the town, were fantastic. In the face of their own tragedy, they rallied and gave every assistance they possibly could.. It would be nearly a decade before the Libyan government turned the two over to face trial. In 2009, with al-Megrahi suffering from prostate cancer and believed to be near death, the Scottish Government Cabinet Secretary for Justice issued what became a controversial ruling: They released him, allowing him to return to Libya to die. There would be four groups of two, so that would be eight, in the morning, and it would change at lunchtime, so it would be around 16 volunteers coming in every day to start with, said Elma Pringle. 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. "Later US intelligence officials confirmed that members of the group had been monitoring Pan Am's facilities at Frankfurt airport. Forty minutes into the flight, the plane had reached the coast of Scotland. All 270 passengers and crew members on the plane were. [146] Several of the victims families refused to accept compensation due to their belief that Libya was not responsible. 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. 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. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much Pan Am Flight 103 - a regularly scheduled transatlantic flight from Frankfurt, Germany to Detroit, USA - exploded from a terrorist bomb at 30,000 feet in the air. ", "Libyan Parliament calls for urgent investigation into Masud's extradition to US", "Libya Admits Culpability In Crash of Pan Am Plane", Security Council lifts sanctions imposed on Libya after terrorist bombings of Pan Am 103 and UTA 772, Statement by Principal Deputy Press Secretary Speakes on the Gulf of Sidra Incident, "NBC's Mitchell Regurgitates Gaddafi Lies", "ASN Aircraft accident McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 N54629 Tnr desert", "The best tribute to the 270 victims of Lockerbie is to find out the truth", "Petition to set up public inquiry into Lockerbie", "Petition to UN General Assembly to open Pan Am 103 inquiry", "Malta asked to support demands for UN inquiry on Lockerbie", "Lockerbie families lobby Gordon Brown for public inquiry", "Lockerbie inquiry ruled out by Gordon Brown", "Khadaffi gav order om Lockerbie-attentatet", "Gaddafi accused of ordering Lockerbie bombing", "Qaddafi's Son Is Alive. Their son witnessed a fireball engulfing his home from a neighbour's garage, where he had been repairing his sister's bicycle. Laurie, of New Jersey, said: It was very emotional. Airlines bent over backwards to book people on overnight flights. There are so many things we do now that are linked to lessons learned from Pan Am 103, Turman said. The work consists of 43 nude statues of the wives and mothers who lost a husband or a child. "Fate just fell into place," Colin said. [120] On 1 November 2009, it was reported that Gordon Brown had ruled out a public inquiry into Lockerbie, saying in response to Dr Swire's letter: "I understand your desire to understand the events surrounding the bombing of Pan Am flight 103 but I do not think it would be appropriate for the UK government to open an inquiry of this sort." The Rev John Mosey, who lost his teenage daughter Helga, says: I could hear little clicks and clunks when on the phone and Lockerbie documents disappeared from my computer. The signatories considered that a UN inquiry could help remove "many of the deep misgivings which persist in lingering over this tragedy" and could also eliminate Malta from this terrorist act. This year marks the 33rd anniversary . Then as now, the goal is to hold everyone involved responsible for the crime and to bring justice to the families of the victims. Malta was brought into the case because the prosecution argued that the two accused Libyans, Abdelbaset al-Megrahi and Lamin Khalifah Fhimah, had placed the bomb on an Air Malta aircraft before it was transferred at Frankfurt airport to a feeder flight destined for London's Heathrow airport, from which Pan Am Flight 103 departed. Within days of the bombing, and for years after, family members of victims from the United States and other countries made their way to Lockerbie. Items of baby clothing, which were subsequently proven to have been made in Malta, were thought to have come from the same suitcase. The same source claims that, following this, "the shaking stopped and to his surprise he was uninjured". And another generation will be poised to keep the memories alive. . He met the families, and the compassion shown to them by the Scottish police made a deep impression on him. For many, including 35 students from Syracuse University who had been studying abroad, it was a much-anticipated homecoming, a reunion with family and friends in time for the holidays. I said, no, they havent stopped, they wont ever stop.. All 259 on board die, and 11 on ground. The attack on Pan Am flight 103 killed 270 people, including 190 Americans. 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. Fhimah is cleared. . 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. [84] In January 2009, it was reported that, although Megrahi's second appeal against conviction was scheduled to begin in April 2009, the hearing could last as long as 12 months because of the complexity of the case and volume of material to be examined. Demands for such an inquiry emerged later, and became more insistent. Of the 270 total fatalities, 190 were American citizens and 43 were British citizens. Many of them come up here for Remembrance Week. Listen to article. [68], On 3 May 2000, the trial of Abdelbaset al-Megrahi and Lamin Khalifah Fhimah began. 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. Scores of bodies fell on a golf course near Mount Tilla . November 2016. The people of Lockerbie managed the catastrophe with laudable skill. Now retired, the 48-year-old is one of five men representing the emergency services who are taking part in a transatlantic fundraising bike ride to mark the 30th anniversary. 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