LOCKERBIE — 1988 · Major Tragedy
Pan Am 103 — The Lockerbie Bombing
On 21 December 1988, the Boeing 747 operating Pan Am Flight 103 from Frankfurt to New York broke apart over the Scottish town of Lockerbie after a bomb exploded on board. All 259 people aboard and 11 people on the ground were killed. The explosive was determined to have been concealed inside a suitcase. In a massive investigation covering an 845-square-kilometer debris field, more than 10,000 fragments were collected and examined. After more than a decade of investigation, two Libyan intelligence officers were identified as suspects; one of them was convicted in 2001. The disaster fundamentally reshaped airport security worldwide, making baggage-passenger reconciliation and X-ray screening of all luggage mandatory.
- Date
- 1988
- Place
- Scotland, United Kingdom, Lockerbie, UK
- Category
- Major Tragedy
- Case Status
- Solved
- Coordinates
- 55.1206, -3.3565 ↗
Timeline of Events
- 1988The plane broke apart over Lockerbie (December 21)
- 1991Two Libyan suspects were identified
- 2001One defendant was convicted
Sources
- Official Report
- Court Records
- Contemporary Press Archive
Source grade C: no linked source yet; details rely on the general press archive. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
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🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.