TWA Flight 840 bombing
 A Boeing 727-231 of TWA, similar to the aircraft involved in the incident | |
| Bombing summary | |
|---|---|
| Date | April 2, 1986 |
| Summary | Bombing |
| Site | Argos, Greece |
| Passengers | 115[1] |
| Crew | 7[1] |
| Fatalities | 4 |
| Injuries (non-fatal) | 7[2] |
| Survivors | 118[1] |
| Aircraft type | Boeing 727-231 |
| Operator | Trans World Airlines |
| Registration | N54340[3] |
| Flight origin | Los Angeles International Airport |
| 1st stopover | John F. Kennedy International Airport |
| 2nd stopover | Leonardo da Vinci Int'l Airport |
| 3rd stopover | Athens (Ellinikon) Int'l Airport |
| Destination | Cairo International Airport |
Trans World Airlines Flight 840 was a regularly scheduled flight from Los Angeles to Cairo via New York City, Rome, and Athens. The flight originated in Los Angeles on a Boeing 747 and transferred to a Boeing 727 in Rome for the remainder of the flight. About 20 minutes before landing in Athens, a bomb hidden underneath seat 10F was detonated on the aircraft while it was over Argos, Greece, blasting a hole in the plane's starboard side. Four American passengers, including an eight-month-old infant, were ejected through the hole to their deaths below. Seven others on the aircraft were injured by shrapnel as the cabin suffered a rapid decompression. The remaining 110 passengers survived the incident as pilot Richard "Pete" Petersen made an emergency landing.[4]
The bodies of three of the four victims were later recovered from a meadow near Argos; the fourth was found in the sea.
A group calling itself the "Arab Revolutionary Cells" claimed responsibility, saying it was committed in retaliation for American imperialism and clashes with Libya in the Gulf of Sidra the week before.[5] Investigators concluded that the bomb contained one pound of plastic explosive. It is suspected it had been placed under the seat cushion on a previous journey by a Lebanese woman (later arrested, never convicted) who worked for the Abu Nidal Organisation, which was opposed to the peace process.[6]
Victims
- Demetra Klug, 8 months, Bethesda, Maryland
- Maria Styllan Klug, 25, Bethesda, Maryland
- Alberto Ospina, 37, Stratford, Connecticut
- Demetra Stylianopoulos, 52, Bethesda, Maryland
References
- 1 2 3 William E. Smith; John Borrell; Mirka Gondicas (1986-04-14). "Terrorism Explosion on Flight 840". Time. Retrieved 1 September 2010.
- ↑ BBC (1986-04-02). "On This Day - 1986: Bomb tears hole in airliner over Greece". BBC News. Retrieved 1 September 2010.
- ↑ "FAA Registry". Federal Aviation Administration.
- ↑ TWA Pilot's Wife Says Her Husband is a Hero With PM-Plane-Bomb Bjt
- ↑ Bomb Blast On Airliner Kills 4 Jet Lands Safely In Greece
- ↑ "Abu Nidal Organization (ANO) attacked Airports & Airlines target (Apr. 2, 1986, Italy)". MIPT Terrorism Knowledge Base. April 3, 2001. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved August 26, 2012.