Timeline of airliner bombing attacks

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Commercial passenger airliners and cargo aircraft have been the subject of plots or attacks by bombs and fire
since the near the start of air travel. Many early bombings were suicides or schemes for insurance money, but in
the latter part of the 20th century, assassination and political and religious militant terrorism became the dominant
motive for attacking large jets. One list describes 86 cases related to airliner bombings, 53 of them resulting in
deaths.[1]
This is a chronological list of airliner bombing attacks. All entries on the list should have their own article.
Explosions deemed to have not resulted from a bomb should not be included on this list. Bombings of small light
aircraft and air taxis and failed bombing plots may not be notable for inclusion. Commercial airliners contracted to
military use may be included on this list, but bombings of military transport aircraft should not.
For airliners brought down by gunfire or missile attacks rather than terrorist bombings or sabotage, see List of
airliner shootdown incidents.

List of incidents

Casual
Date Flight or incident Description
ties

A Boeing 247 was destroyed by a bomb, with

nitroglycerin as the probable explosive agent. A Chicago
10 October 1933 United Airlines Chesterton crash gangland murder was suspected, but the case remains 7
unsolved.[2] It is thought to be the first proven act of air
sabotage in commercial aviation.

Joseph-Albert Guay packed a bomb made of dynamite in

the baggage carried by his wife. The explosion occurred
9 September Canadian Pacific Air Lines In-
after take off, leading to the death of all 19 passengers and 23
1949 flight bombing
4 crew on the Douglas DC-3. Guay was tried and
sentenced to death by hanging on 12 January 1951.

An Air India Lockheed L-749A Constellation carrying

delegates to the Bandung Conference was bombed in an
11 April 1955 Kashmir Princess 16
unsuccessful attempt to assassinate Chinese Premier Zhou
Enlai.

Jack Gilbert Graham packed a bomb containing dynamite

1 November 1955 United Airlines Flight 629 in a suitcase carried by his mother. The explosion and 44
crash killed all 39 passengers and 5 crew members.

16 November A Douglas DC-7B aircraft disappeared from radar over

National Airlines Flight 967 42
1959 the Gulf of Mexico; 10 bodies and scattered debris were
recovered but the main wreckage was never found. There
 Casual
Date Flight or incident Description
ties

has been speculation that the plane was brought down by a

bomb; one theory is that a convicted criminal tricked
another man into boarding in his place with luggage
containing a bomb, so that his wife could collect on his
life insurance. No probable cause for the crash was found.

A Douglas DC-6 flying from New York to Miami

exploded and crashed in North Carolina, killing all on
6 January 1960 National Airlines Flight 2511 board. Passenger Julian Frank, who was under 34
investigation for running a charity fraud and was heavily
insured, is suspected of detonating a dynamite bomb.

A Lockheed L-1649 Starliner flying from Chad to France

suffered an explosion and loss of tail control systems and
crashed in Algeria, killing all on board. The explosion was
10 May 1961 Air France Flight 406 78
believed to have been caused by a nitrocellulose-based
bomb, possibly targeting officials of the Central African
Republic.

A Boeing 707 exploded in the vicinity of Centerville, 45; one

Iowa, United States. Investigators determined that one of died
22 May 1962 Continental Airlines Flight 11 the passengers, Thomas G. Doty, had brought a bomb on shortly
board the aircraft after purchasing a life insurance policy. after
This was the first in-flight bombing of a jet airliner. rescue

A DC-3 registered VR-AAN crashed at Wadi Rabtah

while en route to Aden, Yemen. Investigations determined
22 November Aden Airways crash at Wadi
that a bomb had been placed to kill Amir Mohammed bin 30
1966 Rabtah
Said, Prime Minister of Wahidi (now part of Yemen), by
his son Ali who wanted to succeed him as Amir.[3]

A de Havilland Comet owned by British European

Airways was flying between Greece and Cyprus when it
broke-up and crashed, killing everyone on board. The
cause was not determined, but traces of a military plastic
12 October 1967 Cyprus Airways Flight 284 66
explosive were found on a seat cushion. It is believed a
bomb was intended to assassinate the Greek general in
command of the Cyprus army who was to be aboard, but
cancelled shortly before departure.

A Convair CV-990 departing Zürich suffered an

explosion, cabin smoke and loss of electrical power, and
21 February 1970 Swissair Flight 330 47
crashed, killing all aboard. Investigators determined that a
barometric-triggered bomb had detonated in the aft cargo
compartment. The Popular Front for the Liberation of
 Casual
Date Flight or incident Description
ties

Palestine - General Command, claimed responsibility,

but Reuters later reported that the group denied
involvement.[4] On the same day, a bomb exploded aboard
a Caravelle after takeoff from Frankfurt; this plane landed
safely.

A domestic Philippines flight of a Hawker Siddeley

748 broke-up and crashed, killing all on board.
21 April 1970 Philippine Airlines Flight 215 36
Investigators determined that a bomb in the lavatory
exploded and separated the tail section from the aircraft.

Shortly after takeoff from Vnukovo, a Tu-104 suffered an

explosion that damaged the left side of the fuselage. The
aircraft lost control, broke-up and crashed, killing all on
10 October 1971 Aeroflot Flight 773 25
board. A bomb had been placed on the floor inside the
cabin between the cabin wall and a seat near fuselage
frame 45.[5]

A Douglas DC-9 exploded in mid-air and crashed near

Srbská Kamenice, Czechoslovakia (now the Czech
Republic), killing all on board except flight attendant
26 January 1972 JAT Flight 367 27
Vesna Vulović. Investigations determined that a
homemade bomb had been placed in the forward cargo
hold by Croatian terrorists.

A Convair 880 flying at 29,000 ft (8,800 m) exploded and

broke-up over Pleiku, South Vietnam killing all on board.
Investigation revealed that a bomb, hidden in a cosmetics
case placed under a seat, brought down the aircraft. A
15 June 1972 Cathay Pacific Flight 700Z 81
Thai policeman, whose fiancée and daughter were on
board, was suspected of placing the bomb. He was
convicted, but was acquitted two years later owing to a
lack of evidence.

An Aeroflot Tu-104 had departed Leningrad when

a hijacking attempt occurred. A flight attendant tried to
24 April 1973 April 1973 Aeroflot hijacking disarm the hijacker whose bomb detonated, killing both 2
and causing decompression of the cabin. The crew made
an emergency landing in Leningrad.[6]

An Aeroflot Tu-104 flying from Irkutsk to Chita was

hijacked and demanded to be flown to China. The
18 May 1973 Aeroflot Flight 109 82
hijacker's bomb detonated and the airliner crashed near
Lake Baikal, killing all on board.[7]
 Casual
Date Flight or incident Description
ties

A Boeing 707 crashed into the Ionian Sea after takeoff

8 September from Athens, killing all aboard. Investigators determined
TWA Flight 841 (1974) 88
1974 that a bomb in the cargo hold caused structural and control
system failures, and the plane stalled and crashed.[8]

A Douglas DC-8 suffered two bomb explosions shortly

after takeoff from Barbados, causing a fire, de-
6 October 1976 Cubana de Aviación Flight 455 pressurization, and ultimately the loss of control systems. 73
The airliner crashed, killing all on board. CIA-linked anti-
Castro Cuban exiles in Venezuela were convicted.[9]

A bomb exploded in the forward cargo bay of a Boeing

720B en route from Beirut, Lebanon to Dubai. The
1 January 1976 Middle East Airlines Flight 438 airliner broke-up and crashed, killing all aboard. The 81
bombers were never identified. Lebanon was enduring
a civil war at the time.

An Aeronica Boeing 727 was undergoing pre-departure

3 crew
checks at Mexico City Airport when a bomb exploded in
and 1
12 December Aeronica YN-BXW Mexico City the passenger cabin, tearing a hole in the fuselage. The
ground
1981 Airport bombing bomb was timed to detonate in mid-flight, but because of
crew
a 50-minute delay it exploded just before 150 passengers
injured
were about to board.[10]

A Boeing 747 en route from Tokyo to Honolulu was

damaged by a bomb placed under a seat cushion. The
damaged airliner was able to land safely in Honolulu. 1 dead, 16
11 August 1982 Pan Am Flight 830
Mohammed Rashed, linked to the 15 May Organization, injured
was convicted of murder in 1988 and later convicted by a
2006 US court. Abu Ibrahim was also indicted.

On approach to Abu Dhabi, a bomb exploded in the

baggage compartment of a Boeing 737 which crashed in
23 September the desert, killing all on board. Most of the dead were
Gulf Air Flight 771 112
1983 Pakistani nationals. The bomb was apparently planted by
the militant Palestinian Abu Nidal organization to
convince Saudi Arabia to pay protection money.

A Boeing 747 flying from Montreal to London suffered an

explosion in the forward cargo hold, causing rapid
Air India Flight 182 and Tokyo
23 June 1985 decompression and the break-up of the aircraft. It was the 329 and 2
airport bombing
deadliest aircraft bombing with 329 killed, and the
largest mass murder in Canadian history. A second bomb
intended for Air India Flight 301 exploded at the Tokyo
 Casual
Date Flight or incident Description
ties

airport killing two baggage handlers and injuring four

others; this was the first plot to target two planes at the
same time. Initial suspect Talwinder Singh
Parmar confessed that Lakhbir Singh Rode, leader of the
Sikh separatist organization International Sikh Youth
Federation (ISYF), was the mastermind.[11]

A Boeing 727 flying from Rome to Athens suffered an

explosion in the passenger compartment. Four passengers
(including an infant) were blown out a hole in the
fuselage. The airliner was able to make an emergency
landing. The "Arab Revolutionary Cells" claimed 4 dead, 7
2 April 1986 TWA Flight 840 (1986)
responsibility in retaliation for "American arrogance" and injured
clashes with Libya. The bomb contained one pound of
plastic explosive, probably placed under a seat by a
Lebanese woman who worked for the Abu Nidal
Organisation.

The Lockheed L-1011 Tristar was on the ground, about to

take off, when an explosion ripped the plane in two. The
3 May 1986 Air Lanka Flight 512 21
bomb was originally supposed to detonate mid-flight, but
a delay in boarding caused the bomb to explode early.

A Boeing 737 flying from Baghdad to Jordan was

hijacked by four men. Airline personnel tried to intervene
but a hand grenade was detonated in the passenger cabin,
25 December forcing an emergency descent. A second grenade
Iraqi Airways Flight 163 63
1986 exploded in the cockpit, and the aircraft crashed and
caught fire, killing 63 of 106 people on board. "Islamic
Jihad" (a name used for Hezbollah) claimed responsibility,
and Iraq accused Iran of being behind the attack.

A Boeing 707 flying from Abu Dhabi to Bangkok

exploded, killing all on board. The bomb used liquid
explosives concealed as liquor bottles and was planted by
29 November
Korean Air Flight 858 North Korean agents. One of the agents, Kim Hyon-hui, 115
1987
survived taking a cyanide capsule and later confessed to
the bombing. She was sentenced to death but pardoned as
it was believed she had been brainwashed.

A Boeing 747 flying from Frankfurt to Detroit via London

was destroyed by a bomb, killing all on board and 11 270
21 December people on the ground when large sections of the aircraft (including
Pan Am Flight 103
1988 crashed onto residential areas of Lockerbie, Scotland. The 11 on the
bomb was made from PETN and RDX high explosives ground)
concealed in a radio cassette player. Libyan intelligence
officer Abdelbaset al-Megrahiwas convicted in connection
 Casual
Date Flight or incident Description
ties

with the bombing.

A McDonnell Douglas DC-10 flying from Chad to France

broke-up and crashed in Niger, killing all aboard. A bomb
in the forward cargo hold caused the airliner's destruction.
The confession of a Congolese opposition figure resulted
in charges against six Libyans, including Deputy Head of
19 September
UTA Flight 772 Libyan Intelligence Abdullah Senussi, brother-in-law 170
1989
of Muammar al-Gaddafi. Libya refused to extradite the
accused, but subsequently recognized its responsibility
by compensating the families of the victims. The deemed
motive of the bomber was revenge against the French for
supporting Chad in the Chadian–Libyan conflict.

A domestic Colombian flight of a Boeing 727 suffered an

explosion at 13,000 feet, 5 minutes after takeoff from
Bogota. A bomb placed near an empty fuel tank exploded, 110
27 November igniting fuel vapors with a blast that ripped the aircraft (including
Avianca Flight 203
1989 apart, killing 107 people aboard and another 3 from falling 3 on the
debris. The bombing was planned by Pablo Escobar to ground)
assassinate presidential candidate César Gaviria Trujillo,
but Trujillo was not on the flight.

A Boeing 747 flying from Cebu, Philippines to Tokyo was

seriously damaged by a liquid-explosive bomb which
killed one passenger. Although vital control systems were
11 December 1 dead, 10
Philippine Airlines Flight 434 damaged, pilots were able to safely land the airliner an
1994 injured
hour later. The bomb was assembled and planted for al-
Qaeda by Ramzi Yousef, as a test for planned bombings
of the Bojinka plot.

A failed al-Qaeda plot to destroy several airliners over the

21–22 January
Bojinka plot (failed) Pacific Ocean using liquid explosives. The conspirators 0
1995 (planned)
were discovered before they could carry out the plot.

Al-Qaeda operative Richard Reid was subdued by

22 December passengers of American Airlines Flight 63, flying from
2001 failed shoe bomb attempt 0
2001 Paris to Miami, after unsuccessfully attempting to
detonate plastic explosives concealed in his shoes.

A McDonnell Douglas MD-80 nearing its destination of

Dalian, China, reported fire in the cabin and requested an
7 May 2002 China Northern Flight 6136 112
emergency landing before crashing. The investigation
determined that passenger Zhang Pilin used gasoline to set
fire to the cabin after purchasing several life insurance
 Casual
Date Flight or incident Description
ties

policies. Zhang and most passengers died from carbon

monoxide inhalation; none survived the crash.

Two domestic Russian passenger flights departing

Volga-AviaExpress Flight 1353
24 August 2004
and Siberia Airlines Flight 1047
Moscow, a Tu-134 and a Tu-154 airliner, crashed within
minutes of each other, with no survivors. The Siberia
Airlines flight broadcast a hijack warning shortly before
disappearing from radar. An investigation found traces of 44 and 46
RDX high explosive at both crashes, and determined
Chechen suicide bombers to be responsible. Chechen
separatist Shamil Salmanovich Basayev claimed
responsibility.

A failed al-Qaeda terrorist plot to detonate liquid

9 August 2006 2006 transatlantic aircraft plot explosives on airliners travelling from the United 0
Kingdom to the United States and Canada.

An Airbus A330 flying from Amsterdam to Detroit was

25 December the target of a failed al-Qaeda bombing attempt. Umar
Northwest Airlines Flight 253 0
2009 Farouk Abdulmutallab unsuccessfully attempted to
detonate plastic explosives concealed in his underwear.

A failed al-Qaeda plastic-explosive bombing attempt on a

UPS and a FedEx cargo plane bound to the United States.
The bombs, concealed in packages originating in Yemen,
29 October 2010 Cargo planes bomb plot 0
were discovered at stop-overs a result of shared
intelligence. It is believed the bombs were intended to be
detonated over a US city.[12]

An Airbus A321 flying from Egypt to Saint Petersburg

broke-up above the Sinai, killing everyone on board,
becoming the deadliest air disaster in Russian
31 October 2015 Metrojet Flight 9268 224
history. ISIL claimed responsibility. Russian investigators
found explosive residue and Egyptian authorities agreed it
was a terrorist act.[13]

An Airbus A321 suffered an explosion shortly after taking

off from Mogadishu, opening a hole in the fuselage
1 (the
through which the burnt body of the suicide bomber fell.
2 February 2016 Daallo Airlines Flight 159 bomber),
The airliner was able to safely conduct an emergency
2 injured
landing. Militant group Al-Shabaab claimed
responsibility.