45:
266:, were ejected through the hole to their deaths below. The victims were identified as a Colombian-American man; and a woman, her daughter, and her infant granddaughter. Seven others on the aircraft were injured by shrapnel as the cabin suffered a rapid decompression. However, as the aircraft was in the middle of its approach to Athens, the explosion was not as catastrophic as it would have been at a higher altitude. The remaining 110 passengers survived the incident as pilot Richard "Pete" Petersen made an emergency landing.
730:
742:
718:
754:
308:
Investigators concluded that the bomb contained one pound of plastic explosive. As the bomb was placed on the floor of the cabin, the explosion tore a hole downward, where the fuselage absorbed the most damage. It is suspected it had been placed beneath the seat on a previous journey by a
644:
255:, when the aircraft was at around 11,000 feet (3,400 m). A bomb hidden underneath seat 10F during an earlier leg of the flight detonated, blasting a hole in the starboard side of the fuselage in front of the wing.
1418:
795:
652:
354:
231:. Four passengers died after being blown out, while another seven were injured by flying shrapnel and debris. The aircraft then made a successful emergency landing with no further loss of life.
317:, which was dedicated to the destruction of the state of Israel. They had previously hijacked and bombed several other aircraft, as well as committing various terrorist attacks in parts of the
1704:
1699:
1411:
1138:
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1029:
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1404:
533:
1689:
1588:
1634:
1077:
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781:
573:
1684:
1108:
239:
The Boeing 727-231 involved in the incident was delivered to TWA in 1974, with the registration N54340. It was fitted with 3 P&W JT8D-5 turbofan engines.
1654:
1039:
495:
300:
The aircraft was substantially damaged but was repaired and returned to service until TWA ceased operations in 2001. The aircraft was scrapped in 2002.
1669:
959:
247:
The flight originated in Los
Angeles on a Boeing 747 and transferred to a Boeing 727 in Rome for the remainder of the flight. After taking off from
1464:
144:
397:
1019:
134:
1694:
1456:
999:
333:- Similar incident in which a suicide bomber detonated a bomb on board, whereafter the plane managed to make a successful emergency landing
829:
1213:
929:
223:, Rome, and Athens on April 2, 1986. About 20 minutes before landing in Athens, a bomb was detonated on the aircraft while it was over
1664:
1101:
869:
286:
1629:
1196:
595:
124:
44:
805:
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351:- Experienced an explosion after the cargo door opened in mid-flight, causing several passengers to be blown out of the aircraft
1507:
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154:
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1674:
336:
1241:
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A group calling itself the Arab
Revolutionary Cells claimed responsibility, saying it was committed in retaliation for
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427:
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1480:
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1488:
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773:
538:
620:
543:
342:
1396:
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979:
675:"Abu Nidal Organization (ANO) attacked Airports & Airlines target (Apr. 2, 1986, Italy)"
1184:
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839:
758:
275:
1336:
1330:
1324:
1312:
1300:
1294:
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1618:
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259:
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79:
17:
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318:
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216:
94:
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274:
The bodies of three of the four victims were later recovered from an unused
251:, the flight remained uneventful until around 20 minutes before landing at
339:- A 747 where a bomb went off, followed by a successful emergency landing
767:
1086:
310:
770:" by Nancy Locke Hauser (now Capers), July 1986, Cosmopolitan Magazine
263:
252:
454:"TWA Pilot's Wife Says Her Husband is a Hero With PM-Plane-Bomb Bjt"
290:
574:"TWA bombing survivor and author tells stories of second chances"
396:
Smith, William E.; Borrell, John; Gondicas, Mirka (1986-04-14).
1400:
1090:
777:
428:"On This Day - 1986: Bomb tears hole in airliner over Greece"
355:
List of accidents and incidents involving commercial aircraft
596:"Bomb Blast On Airliner Kills 4 Jet Lands Safely In Greece"
313:
woman (later arrested, never convicted) who worked for the
278:
landing strip near Argos; the fourth was found in the sea.
1139:
1931 Transcontinental & Western Air Fokker F-10 crash
345:- Another 747 that landed safely after a bomb exploded
706:
534:"4 killed as bomb rips T.W.A plane on way to Athens"
527:
525:
523:
521:
519:
517:
215:
was a regularly scheduled international flight from
1542:
1499:
1432:
1366:
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1131:
1124:
621:"ASN Aircraft accident Boeing 727-231 N54340 Argos"
202:
194:
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150:
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130:
120:
110:
100:
90:
85:
75:
67:
59:
54:
49:
The aircraft involved in the incident, seen in 1997
1705:Attacks on aircraft by Palestinian militant groups
1589:List of aviation accidents and incidents in Greece
469:
467:
30:For the earlier hijacking of TWA Flight 840, see
1700:Accidents and incidents involving the Boeing 727
1412:
1102:
789:
8:
1640:Trans World Airlines accidents and incidents
37:
1680:Terrorist incidents in Greece in the 1980s
1645:Aviation accidents and incidents in Greece
1427:Aviation accidents and incidents in Greece
1419:
1405:
1397:
1128:
1109:
1095:
1087:
796:
782:
774:
43:
36:
1690:Palestinian terrorist incidents in Greece
391:
389:
387:
262:passengers, including an eight-month-old
1635:Aviation accidents and incidents in 1986
1030:British Int'l Helicopters Chinook crash
713:
365:
1685:Terrorist incidents in Europe in 1986
1020:Thai Airways International Flight 620
135:John F. Kennedy International Airport
7:
1457:Olympic Airways Flight 255 hijacking
930:Grand Canyon National Park collision
1214:1956 Grand Canyon mid-air collision
960:Sudan Airways Fokker F-27 shootdown
398:"Terrorism Explosion on Flight 840"
1655:20th-century mass murder in Greece
651:. 11 December 2015. Archived from
25:
1197:1955 Cincinnati mid-air collision
1040:Japan Air Lines Cargo Flight 1628
460:. Associated Press. 3 April 1986.
227:, blasting a hole in the plane's
125:Los Angeles International Airport
806:Aviation accidents and incidents
752:
740:
728:
716:
155:Athens (Ellinikon) Int'l Airport
1670:1986 in international relations
1508:Trans World Airlines Flight 847
1225:1960 New York mid-air collision
1000:Mozambican Tupolev Tu-134 crash
870:Mexicana de Aviación Flight 940
683:. April 3, 2001. Archived from
378:Federal Aviation Administration
213:Trans World Airlines Flight 840
145:Leonardo da Vinci Int'l Airport
1592:Crashes in water near Greece:
645:"Abu Nidal Organization (ANO)"
337:Philippine Airlines Flight 434
1:
1242:1965 Carmel mid-air collision
990:Corporate Air Services HPF821
680:MIPT Terrorism Knowledge Base
1567:Turkish Airlines Flight 1476
532:Suro, Roberto (1986-04-03).
1695:April 1986 events in Europe
1524:Olympic Aviation Flight 545
165:Cairo International Airport
1721:
1481:Olympic Airways Flight 411
1473:Olympic Airways Flight 830
1449:Olympic Airways Flight 954
850:China Airlines Flight 2265
349:United Airlines Flight 811
331:Daallo Airlines Flight 159
29:
1665:1986 in the United States
1595:Cyprus Airways Flight 284
1585:
1559:Helios Airways Flight 522
1387:
1271:Dawson's Field hijackings
1069:
920:China Airlines Flight 334
821:
768:Hell on Athens Flight 840
600:The Philadelphia Inquirer
42:
1630:Failed airliner bombings
1265:TWA Flight 840 hijacking
1060:Iraqi Airways Flight 163
830:Aerovías Caravelle crash
32:TWA Flight 840 hijacking
1441:El Al Flight 253 attack
1389:This list is incomplete
1162:1938 Yosemite TWA crash
1132:Accidents and incidents
374:"FAA Registry (N54340)"
1516:TWA Flight 840 bombing
1374:Trans World Connection
649:mackenzieinstitute.com
475:"Aircraft N54340 Data"
315:Abu Nidal Organisation
1675:1986 crimes in Greece
970:Aeroméxico Flight 498
687:on September 30, 2007
27:1986 airliner bombing
18:TWA Flight 840 (1986)
1575:Meridian Flight 3032
1465:Lufthansa Flight 303
1118:Trans World Airlines
1010:Aeroflot Flight 6502
940:Aeroflot Flight 2306
910:Air Lanka Flight 512
890:Ljósufjöll air crash
860:Aeroflot Flight F-77
283:American imperialism
105:Trans World Airlines
1625:Mass murder in 1986
1532:Aerosvit Flight 241
1489:Swissair Flight 316
1379:Trans World Express
1078:► 1987
1072:1985 ◄
1050:Aeroflot Flight 892
625:aviation-safety.net
39:
1319:Flight 840 bombing
1075:
539:The New York Times
91:Aircraft type
1650:Abu Nidal attacks
1610:
1609:
1394:
1393:
1367:Corporate affairs
1346:
1345:
1084:
1083:
434:. BBC. 1986-04-02
343:Pan Am Flight 830
297:the week before.
210:
209:
16:(Redirected from
1712:
1605:
1604:(September 1974)
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1570:
1562:
1554:
1551:Malév Flight 262
1535:
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980:Pan Am Flight 73
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550:. Archived from
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498:. Archived from
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404:. Archived from
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47:
40:
21:
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1711:
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1534:(December 1997)
1530:
1522:
1514:
1506:
1495:
1487:
1479:
1475:(November 1976)
1471:
1467:(December 1973)
1463:
1455:
1451:(December 1969)
1447:
1443:(December 1968)
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950:LIAT Flight 319
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927:
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917:
913:
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867:
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840:VASP Flight 210
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827:
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741:
739:
729:
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655:on 13 July 2018
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619:Ranter, Harro.
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594:
593:
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554:on 2 April 2018
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502:on 2 April 2018
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408:on May 10, 2011
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276:Greek Air Force
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1660:1986 in Greece
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1608:
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1602:TWA Flight 841
1597:(October 1967)
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1569:(October 2006)
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1491:(October 1979)
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1307:TWA Flight 841
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908:
905:
904:
900:Hindawi affair
898:
895:
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880:TWA Flight 840
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703:External links
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576:. 26 June 2015
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496:"FAA Registry"
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95:Boeing 727-231
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38:TWA Flight 840
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1561:(August 2005)
1560:
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1526:(August 1989)
1525:
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1483:(August 1978)
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735:United States
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219:to Cairo via
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121:Flight origin
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80:Argos, Greece
78:
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63:April 2, 1986
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41:
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1612:
1518:(April 1986)
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1358:Destinations
1318:
879:
689:. Retrieved
685:the original
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151:3rd stopover
141:2nd stopover
131:1st stopover
112:Registration
1577:(July 2022)
1553:(July 2000)
1510:(June 1985)
1500:1980s-1990s
1459:(July 1970)
1433:1960s-1970s
1185:Flight 6963
438:1 September
412:1 September
319:Middle East
249:Rome, Italy
217:Los Angeles
161:Destination
1619:Categories
1543:Since 2000
1337:Flight 800
1331:Flight 427
1325:Flight 843
1313:Flight 847
1301:Flight 541
1295:Flight 355
1289:Flight 514
1283:Flight 841
1277:Flight 742
1259:Flight 128
1253:Flight 159
1247:Flight 553
1236:Flight 800
1230:Flight 529
1219:Flight 891
1208:Flight 400
1202:Flight 260
1191:Flight 903
1179:Flight 513
1173:Flight 277
1156:Flight 15A
691:August 26,
630:2020-03-09
605:2020-03-09
361:References
187:Fatalities
171:Passengers
548:0362-4331
270:Aftermath
203:Survivors
1351:Services
1167:Flight 3
1150:Flight 1
1144:Flight 6
759:Aviation
432:BBC News
325:See also
311:Lebanese
260:American
235:Aircraft
195:Injuries
101:Operator
86:Aircraft
1125:History
810: (
808:in 1986
747:Lebanon
709:Portals
659:2 April
580:2 April
558:2 April
506:2 April
480:1 April
458:AP News
293:in the
287:clashes
71:Bombing
68:Summary
55:Bombing
1339:(1996)
1333:(1994)
1327:(1992)
1321:(1986)
1315:(1985)
1309:(1979)
1303:(1978)
1297:(1976)
1291:(1974)
1285:(1974)
1279:(1973)
1273:(1970)
1267:(1969)
1261:(1967)
1255:(1967)
1249:(1967)
1238:(1964)
1232:(1961)
1221:(1959)
1210:(1956)
1204:(1955)
1193:(1950)
1187:(1946)
1181:(1946)
1175:(1944)
1169:(1942)
1158:(1937)
1152:(1936)
1146:(1935)
1056:Dec 25
1046:Dec 12
1036:Nov 17
1016:Oct 26
1006:Oct 20
996:Oct 19
966:Aug 31
956:Aug 16
926:Jun 18
896:Apr 17
866:Mar 31
846:Feb 16
836:Jan 28
826:Jan 18
723:Greece
546:
264:infant
253:Athens
243:Flight
116:N54340
1026:Nov 6
986:Oct 5
976:Sep 5
946:Aug 3
936:Jul 2
916:May 3
906:May 3
886:Apr 5
876:Apr 2
856:Mar 2
291:Libya
289:with
258:Four
1587:See
812:1986
693:2012
661:2018
582:2018
560:2018
544:ISSN
508:2018
482:2018
440:2010
414:2010
402:Time
285:and
179:Crew
76:Site
60:Date
206:118
174:115
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