[167], It was announced in April 2013 that part of the wreckage was transferred to a secure location in Dumfries, Scotland, and that it remains evidence in the ongoing criminal investigation. Scores of bodies fell on a golf course near Mount Tilla . [1/5] A December 23, 1988 file photo shows Scottish rescue workers and crash investigators search the area around the cockpit of Pan Am flight 103 in a farmer's field east of Lockerbie, Scotland . According to the report, the rest of the wreckage composed of "the complete fuselage forward of approximately station 480 to station 380 and incorporating the flight deck and nose landing gear was found as one piece in a field approximately 4 kilometres (2.5mi) east of Lockerbie. Volunteers from Lockerbie set up and staffed canteens which stayed open 24 hours a day and offered relatives, soldiers, police officers, and social workers free sandwiches, hot meals, beverages, and counseling. On December 21, 1988, Pan Am Flight 103 exploded 31,000 feet over Lockerbie, Scotland, 38 minutes after takeoff from London. Concluding his extensive reply dated 27 October 2009 to the Prime Minister, Dr Swire said: You have now received a much more comprehensive letter requesting a full inquiry from our group 'UK Families-Flight 103'. Five years later, on December 21, 2020,US Attorney General William Barr announced criminal charges against former Libyan intelligence officer Abu Agila Mohammad Masud Kheir Al-Marimi in relation to the Lockerbie attack. The bombing was the first major terrorist attack on Americans. There was a great roaring noise and flames coming out of a great big hole in the ground and dense, dense smoke. At 18:58, the aircraft established two-way radio contact with Shanwick Oceanic Area Control in Prestwick on 123.95MHz. Thats the only way you are going to prevent attacks and solve attacks. [99][100], According to The New York Times, Mas'ud was born in Tunisia in 1951, before he became a citizen of Libya as a child after he moved to Tripoli, Libya. 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. When, however, the evidence regarding the clothing, the purchaser, and the timer is taken with the evidence that an unaccompanied bag was taken from KM180 to PA103A, the inference that that was the primary suitcase becomes, in our view, irresistible. "The farmer was there and it was his father who'd brought the child to the town hall. "[96] Megrahi died of prostate cancer in Libya on 20 May 2012. Four days before Christmas in 1988, Pan Am Flight 103 exploded 31,000 feet above Scotland. U.S. Said to Be Near Charges for Another Suspect in 1988 Lockerbie Bombing. [123][124], In a July 2021 interview, Gaddafi's son Saif al-Islam said that his father "had stopped riding his horse after the humiliation of the American bombing of Tripoli in 1986 and resumed riding it after the Lockerbie bombing."[125]. Shortly after 19:00 on 21 December 1988, while the aircraft was in flight over the Scottish town of Lockerbie, it was destroyed by a bomb that had been planted on board, killing all 243 passengers and 16 crew in what became known as the Lockerbie bombing. [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. We knew there was a very serious incident there., Pan Am Flight 103 was flying at an altitude of 31,000 feet over Lockerbie, Scotland, when a terrorist bomb exploded on board. Some relatives of the dead, including Lockerbie campaigner Jim Swire, believe the bomb was planted at Heathrow Airport, and not sent via feeder flights from Malta, as per the US and UK governments. [15], On its arrival at Heathrow Terminal 3 on the day of the disaster, the passengers and their luggage (as well as an unaccompanied suitcase which was part of the interline luggage on the feeder flight) were transferred directly to Clipper Maid of the Seas, whose previous flight had originated in Los Angeles and arrived via San Francisco. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. A Warner Bros. Mum had been so worried about him dying alone in the cold of the Scottish countryside. [42], The anonymous warning was taken seriously by the US government and the State Department cabled the bulletin to dozens of embassies. 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. He was among those who answered the emergency call and sped east from the Dumfries stationhouse. A bomb aboard the plane detonated over the Scottish town of Lockerbie . "[149], In March 2009, it was announced that US lobbying firm, Quinn Gillespie & Associates, received fees of $2million for the work it did from 2006 through 2008 helping the PA103 relatives obtain payment by Libya of the final $2million compensation (out of a total of $10million) that was due to each family. The bodies of Captain MacQuarrie, his copilot and the flight engineer were found still strapped into their seats. So, there is a headstone with the 11 people whose bodies were not . The work consists of 43 nude statues of the wives and mothers who lost a husband or a child. 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. Transcript of the proceedings of the Scottish court in the Netherlands 2001, day 86. Although the passengers aboard the plane came from 21 countries, the majority of them were Americans, and the attack increased terrorism fears in the United States. Swire and many other UK relatives have never believed in the guilt of the man convicted of the bombing, Abdelbaset al-Megrahi. Pan Am Flight 103 . This annual ceremony remembers the 270 people, including 35 students studying abroad through Syracuse University, who were killed in the Dec. 21, 1988, bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. 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. That focus lies in London and at the door of the then inhabitant of Number 10 Downing Street. [126] Following the Lockerbie verdict in 2001 and the appeal in 2002, attempts have been made to re-open the case amid allegations that Libya was framed. Theres no other place we feel as connected to him as on the farm. Then as now, the goal is to hold everyone involved responsible for the crime and to bring justice to the families of the victims. Pan Am Flight 103 from London to New York is bombed midair over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing all 243 passengers and 16 crew members aboard, as well as 11 people on the ground. [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. Pan Am 103 originated as a feeder flight at Frankfurt Airport, West Germany, using a Boeing 727 and the flight number PA103-A. The other man, Lamin Khalifa Fhimah, was acquitted. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. [22] The rear fuselage, parts of the baggage hold, and three landing gear units landed at Rosebank Crescent. They were laid to rest in a single coffin in the West Wales village of Pendine, Carmarthenshire. [95] As reported on 29 August, he had been located and both the Scottish government and council issued a statement confirming that they had been in contact with his family and that his licence had not been breached. The transatlantic leg of the route was operated by Clipper Maid of the Seas, a Boeing 747-121 registered N739PA. November 1991: Libyans Abdelbaset al-Megrahi and Al Amin Khalifa Fhimah accused. One of the newly released documents is a letter from the Foreign Office in 1989. A flight attendant was found alive by a farmer's wife, but died before help could be summoned. 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. [73] Kchler also issued a series of statements in 2003, 2005, and 2007 calling for an independent international inquiry into the case and accusing the West of "double standards in criminal justice" in relation to the Lockerbie trial on the one hand and the HIV trial in Libya on the other. Inside each sculpture there is a personal memento of the victim. 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.. He had visited the property store in Lockerbie where the victims personal effects were cared for. The Libyan intelligence operative arrested last month for allegedly building the bomb that blew up Pan Am Flight 103 above Lockerbie, Scotland, more than 34 years ago was scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday in Washington, D.C., but family members expressed that they've had trouble securing a defense attorney, according to a report.. Abu Agila Mohammad Mas'ud Kheir Al-Marimi's arraignment was . [18][19] Comparison of the CVR to the radar returns showed that, eight seconds after the explosion, the wreckage had a 1-nautical-mile (1.9km) spread. And another generation will be poised to keep the memories alive. Act as a Spokesperson In case of an emergency, one person should take primary responsibility to speak on behalf of the entire organization to eliminate conflicting messages and to prevent the spread of misinformation. Hundreds of family members traveled to the Netherlands during the nine-month trial. [50] Jalil claimed to possess "documents that prove [his allegations] and [that he is] ready to hand them over to the international criminal court. 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. It was just a case of moving on then, but in years since it was something that bothered me. Demands for such an inquiry emerged later, and became more insistent. The family of Frank Ciulla, one of 259 flight passengers who died when Pan-Am flight 103 was bombed, has spoken of the friendship they've built with the family that found him. "He said it was a child by the name of Bryony Owen who was 20 months old and it had affected his father very badly over the years. 'To hide it, he (Khadafy) did everything in his power to get al-Megrahi back from Scotland,' Abdel-Jalil was quoted as saying."[148]. David Jardine, now a group commander with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, was 19 years old and had just completed basic training with the Dumfries and Galloway Fire Brigade. Contrary to many popular accounts of the disaster (though repeated, with reference, below), the flight, which had a scheduled gate departure time of 18:00, left Heathrow airport on time.[16][17]. [22] The CVR, located in the tail section of the aircraft, was found in a field by police searchers within 24 hours. [114], Prior to the abandonment of Megrahi's second appeal against conviction and while new evidence could be still tested in court, there had been few calls for an independent inquiry into the Lockerbie bombing. 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 . We have sweaters that my uncle bought for our family in perfect condition still, she said, because those women took the time to care, which is absolutely unbelievable.. Eleven residents were killed instantly. Organize, control, distribute and measure all of your digital content. Can Nigeria's election result be overturned? A Lockerbie disaster victims grandchildren gaze reflectively across the quiet land where their granddad died in Britains worst terrorist attack 30 years ago. Former Libyan intelligence officer Abdelbaset al-Megrahi was . On scope, the aircraft showed transponder code, or "squawk", 0357 and flight level 310. Its still an open case, and I know the FBI is still working with the Scottish Crown Office. A key suspect in 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, which killed 270 people, the majority of them Americans, is in U.S. custody, officials confirmed Sunday. 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. [132], Jim Kreindler of the New York law firm Kreindler & Kreindler, which orchestrated the settlement, said: "These are uncharted waters. [132], Compensation for the families of the PA103 victims was among the steps set by the UN for lifting its sanctions against Libya. On Sunday, the US Justice Department said that Masud was in US custody. [59], A circuit board fragment, allegedly found embedded in a piece of charred material, was identified as part of an electronic timer similar to one found on a Libyan intelligence agent who had been arrested 10 months previously for carrying materials for a Semtex bomb. I am one of the signatories. Lives are forever changed. It was a place where family members were shielded from the inquiring media and where U.S. and Scottish personnelsome police investigators who had worked on the case years beforeacted as family liaison officers, providing support from the moment family members walked in the door.. [20]:44 Due to the extreme flutter, the vertical stabilizer disintegrated, which in turn produced large yawing movements. In 1991, former FBI Director Robert Mueller was the assistant attorney general at the Department of Justice, and he was in charge of the Lockerbie investigation. After 30 years, some of the founding members of the family group have died, others have grown old. Looking back and acting forward, thats our motto, said Katie Berrell, a Remembrance Scholar who represents her uncle. We had to have another look at ourselves and decide we are not simply dealing with people from Scotland, from the United Kingdom, McCulloch said. December 21, 1988: Pan Am Flight 103 from Frankfurt to Detroit via London blows up. 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. 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. Dec. 21, 1988: Pan Am Flight 103 explodes 31,000 feet over Lockerbie, Scotland, 38 minutes after takeoff from London. All 259 passengers and crew members were killed. 270 people were killed, including 11 people in the town. The aircraft's elevator- and rudder-control cables had been disrupted and the fuselage pitched downwards and to the left.[24]. 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. Based on a 1995 investigation by journalists Paul Foot and John Ashton, alternative explanations of the plot to commit the Lockerbie bombing were listed by The Guardian's Patrick Barkham in 1999. It really wasnt until the two Libyans were handed over for trial that the plight of the families came back up. They were mostly American, many were British, but they were also from the Philippines, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Canada, all over. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Falling wreckage destroyed 21 houses and killed an additional 11 people on the ground. [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.