1972: TWA jet explodes at Las Vegas airport

BBC ^ | Orig. 3/8/2007 | na

[fishhound]

972: TWA jet explodes at Las Vegas airport A bomb has exploded aboard a Trans World Airlines Boeing 707 at Las Vegas airport.

No-one was injured in the blast which destroyed the cockpit of the aircraft as it stood empty on the tarmac.

The explosion happened hours after an anonymous phone caller threatened TWA with a series of bomb attacks unless £760,000 was handed over.

The caller instructed airport officials at Kennedy Airport in New York to go to a locker where they found a note, which said there would be explosions at six hourly intervals on four of the company's aircraft.

Sniffer dogs found a bomb, which consisted of 3lb (1.36kg) of plastic explosives and a timing device, aboard a TWA aircraft at the airport in New York, 12 minutes before it was timed to explode.

[fishhound]

Historical Book mark.

The aircraft which exploded in Las Vegas was thoroughly searched and left New York after the first bomb was discovered.

"12 minutes before it was timed to explode."

Talk about staring death in the face.

"It flew to Las Vegas with only 10 passengers and was searched again once it landed.

The aircraft was then put under armed guard before the plane exploded seven hours later. "

They flew with a bomb...and waited ...why fly in the first place?

[saganite]

Slow news night, huh?

[Cheburashka]

Read carefully.

Two planes. The first they found a bomb on was in New York. And they found the bomb 12 minutes before it went off.

Second plane was searched in New York. Nothing was found. They flew the plane to LV with ten passengers. They searched it again. They don't say whether they found the second bomb or not, but they put it under guard. That bomb went off seven hours later.

[isom35]

sounds like an episode of Cold Case, starring the lady with scarecrow hair (or is it bed-head?)

[DakotaRed]

The security department at the International Air Transport Association suspects that five people, who each hold Middle Eastern passports, may have been involved in the plot.

Move along, nothing to see here. Just random violence. No connection to today at all. **Sarcasm off**

[cgk]

BFLR