Latest news with #Abdelbasetal-Megrahi
Daily Record
29-06-2025
- Daily Record
Lockerbie bombmaker could be caught as Scots forensics make DNA breakthrough
Scientists are now looking at DNA discovered on the Lockerbie bomb suitcase. The suitcase that hid the Lockerbie bomb has finally given up its DNA secrets, almost four decades after Britain's worst terrorist attack. Forensic experts in Scotland have extracted genetic material from the lining of the case and an umbrella packed inside it and are now testing it against a Libyan suspect accused of helping blow Pan Am Flight 103 out of the sky. The bombing of the Pan Am Flight 103 in December 1988, killed 270 people. The plane exploded less than 40 minutes after departing from Heathrow, on a flight bound for New York, reports the Mirror. Since the attack, the only suspect to have been convicted of the crime is Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, a former Libyan intelligence officer who was jailed for life in 2001. However, prosecutors maintain he acted with others in carrying out the attack. Megrahi was released by the Scottish government on compassionate grounds in 2009 after he was diagnosed with terminal cancer. He lived for another 33 months before he died at his home in Tripoli, aged 60. His release angered many of the American victims' relatives who want to see the next suspect face a US court. The new evidence could finally link 74-year-old bombmaker Abu Agila Masud to the devastating attack just days before Christmas in 1988. He has been in US custody since December 2022 and has pleaded not guilty to the charges. Advances in technology have allowed Scottish scientists to gather DNA from the suitcase lining and an umbrella packed into the luggage before the explosion which happened mid air. Investigators believe the bomb was placed inside a radio packed in the suitcase. Prosecutors are pining their hopes on a new DNA sample that could link Masud. The Sunday Times says it has seen the US court papers which mention the potential breakthrough. Pan Am Flight 103 was heading from Heathrow to New York's JFK Airport just four days before Christmas in 1988 when it was blown out of the sky above Scotland. All 259 passengers and crew were killed, including three Irish citizens and 190 Americans. Another 11 people in Lockerbie lost their lives when parts of the plane rained down on the quiet town in Dumfries and Galloway. Masud wasn't the only suspect. Another Libyan intelligence officer, Lamin Khalifah Fhimah, 69, stood trial alongside Abdelbaset al-Megrahi in 2000. While Megrahi was convicted, Fhimah, now 69, walked free. But he's still wanted by US authorities and remains the subject of an active arrest warrant. Masud's name first came up in the original probe when detectives found the bomb had been hidden in an unaccompanied suitcase that travelled from Malta to Frankfurt, then on to Heathrow, where it was finally loaded onto Flight 103. But at the time, investigators couldn't track him down. It wasn't until Libya's dictator Colonel Gaddafi was overthrown in 2011 that Masud, known as a bomb -maker for the Libyan External Security Organisation, was finally detained by rebel forces. He was later extradited to the US, accused of building the device and taking it in a suitcase from Tripoli to Malta. Masud is alleged to have confessed while in custody in Libya, but his legal team claim the statement was extracted under duress and should not be allowed in court. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Now, a DNA sample recovered from the suitcase and items inside it could hold the key to solving the case once and for all. US court documents state that forensic scientist Dr Nighean Stevenson 'examined items relating to an umbrella and an item relating to the lining of a suitcase. These items were examined using specialised lighting, and DNA samples were taken from each. The DNA profiles obtained from these items were of varying quality and were generally commensurate with the expectations of these items.' The document continues: "Analysis of a DNA reference sample relating to the accused nominal (Masud) has yet to be carried out. 'When a DNA profile relating to this individual has been generated, it will thereafter be compared to any suitable DNA profiles which have already been obtained." Experts believe the same forensic tests could even prove whether Megrahi - the only man ever convicted over the bombing - had handled any of the items hidden in the fatal case. Key evidence against him in 2001 included the testimony of a Maltese shopkeeper, who claimed Megrahi had purchased various items of clothing, and an umbrella, from his store just days before the atrocity. In his alleged confession, made in a Libyan jail in 2012, Masud is said to have named both Megrahi and Fhimah as his co-conspirators. A criminal complaint filed by the FBI states: "Approximately three months after (the bombing), Masud and Fhimah met with the then Libyan leader, Muammar Gadaffi, and others, who thanked them for carrying out a great national duty against the Americans, and Gadaffi added that the operation was a total success."
North Wales Chronicle
12-06-2025
- North Wales Chronicle
Timeline of deadly plane crashes involving UK flights
Here is a timeline of some of the previous worst crashes involving flights to or from UK airports. – June 1967 A British Midland flight crashed in Stockport, a short distance from Manchester airport, carrying holidaymakers returning from Majorca, Spain. The incident killed 72 people. – November 1967 All 37 people onboard Iberia Airlines flight 062 from Malaga, Spain, to Heathrow died when it crashed into Blackdown Hill in West Sussex. – January 1969 Fifty people died when an Ariana Afghan Airlines plane crashed on approach to Gatwick airport. – June 1972 A British European Airways plane crashed in Staines, Surrey, shortly after taking off from Heathrow airport. All 118 passengers and crew died. – August 1985 A British Airtours plane bound for Corfu, Greece, caught fire on the runway at Manchester airport. Eighty people escaped but 55 were killed, mostly by smoke inhalation. – December 1988 All 259 passengers and crew and 11 people on the ground were killed when Pan Am Flight 103 exploded above the Scottish town of Lockerbie 40 minutes into its flight from London Heathrow to New York. It remains the UK's deadliest terrorist atrocity. Former Libyan intelligence officer Abdelbaset al-Megrahi is the only man convicted in relation to the bombing. – January 1989 Forty-seven people were killed and 67 were seriously injured when a British Midland 737 plane crashed while trying to make an emergency landing at East Midlands airport following an engine fire. It struck the M1 in Kegworth after failing to reach the runway.
Leader Live
12-06-2025
- Leader Live
Timeline of deadly plane crashes involving UK flights
Here is a timeline of some of the previous worst crashes involving flights to or from UK airports. – June 1967 A British Midland flight crashed in Stockport, a short distance from Manchester airport, carrying holidaymakers returning from Majorca, Spain. The incident killed 72 people. – November 1967 All 37 people onboard Iberia Airlines flight 062 from Malaga, Spain, to Heathrow died when it crashed into Blackdown Hill in West Sussex. – January 1969 Fifty people died when an Ariana Afghan Airlines plane crashed on approach to Gatwick airport. – June 1972 A British European Airways plane crashed in Staines, Surrey, shortly after taking off from Heathrow airport. All 118 passengers and crew died. – August 1985 A British Airtours plane bound for Corfu, Greece, caught fire on the runway at Manchester airport. Eighty people escaped but 55 were killed, mostly by smoke inhalation. – December 1988 All 259 passengers and crew and 11 people on the ground were killed when Pan Am Flight 103 exploded above the Scottish town of Lockerbie 40 minutes into its flight from London Heathrow to New York. It remains the UK's deadliest terrorist atrocity. Former Libyan intelligence officer Abdelbaset al-Megrahi is the only man convicted in relation to the bombing. – January 1989 Forty-seven people were killed and 67 were seriously injured when a British Midland 737 plane crashed while trying to make an emergency landing at East Midlands airport following an engine fire. It struck the M1 in Kegworth after failing to reach the runway.
Metro
12-06-2025
- Metro
The deadliest plane crashes in UK aviation history
An Air India plane carrying 242 people bound for London has crashed near Ahmedabad airport shortly after taking off. On board the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner were 53 British, 169 Indian, seven Portuguese and one Canadian nationals. Fire and thick black smoke was seen shortly after the aricraft went down near student accommodation at a nearby medical university at 1.39pm local time. Follow Metro's blog for live coverage and updates from the Air India crash Crashes like this are rare – but when they happen, the consequences are catastrophic. Below, we look back at some of the worst air disasters in UK aviation history. Pan Am Flight 103 exploded over Dumfries and Galloway while cruising at 31,000 feet on December 21, 1988, crashing onto the town of Lockerbie. All 259 people on board and 11 people on the ground were killed when the Boeing 747, flying from Heathrow to New York, was bombed. The explosion tore a 20-inch hole in the fuselage, causing the aircraft to disintegrate instantly. Among the vitims were 35 American students flying home for Christmas and the crash remains the deadliest terrorist attack on UK soil. A joint investigation by Scottish police and the FBI concluded the bombing was carried out by Libyan Intelligence Services in revenge for the 1986 US bombing of Tripoli. Abdelbaset al-Megrahi was later convicted for placing the bomb in a suitcase disguised with clothing and an umbrella. A British European Airways Trident crashed shortly after takeoff from Heathrow en route to Brussels on June 18, 1972, killing all 118 people on board. Three minutes into the flight, the plane entered a deep stall. Investigators found that the crew had failed to maintain sufficient speed and did not properly deploy the aircraft's high-lift devices. The cockpit voice recorder captured an argument between the captain and co-pilot moments before the crash. Weather conditions were also poor, with turbulence, strong crosswinds, heavy rain and low cloud. A Canadair C-4 Argonaut operated by British Midland Airways crashed near the centre of Stockport on June 4, 1967, killing 72 of the 84 people on board. The aircraft was returning from Palma de Mallorca and came down just a few miles short of its destination, Manchester Airport. Two of its four engines failed due to fuel starvation caused by a design flaw in the fuel system. Investigators also cited pilot fatigue as a contributing factor, noting that the flight crew were likely operating under significant exhaustion at the time of the crash. On August 22, 1985, a British Airtours Boeing 737-236 bound for Corfu aborted takeoff at Manchester Airport after control staff warned one of its engines was on fire. Passengers started evacuating, but the fire spread rapidly. All deaths were caused by the inhalation of toxic smoke. Most of their bodies were found near the overwing exit. Fifty-five of the 137 people on board were killed. The disaster led to sweeping aviation reforms, including fire-resistant seat materials, improved cabin wall and ceiling panels, floor lighting for evacuation, better on-board extinguishers, and revised emergency procedures. On January 5, 1969, an Ariana Afghan Airlines flight from Kabul crashed into a house during its final approach to Gatwick Airport, killing 50 people – 48 on board and two on the ground The aircraft descended too quickly after a flap adjustment caused the nose to pitch downward. By the time the flight crew recognised the error, it was too late to recover. The plane struck the home of William and Ann Jones, who died in the crash – but their baby miraculously survived. Fourteen people on the flight, including the captain, first officer and flight engineer, also lived. On January 8, 1989, British Midland Flight 92 from Belfast to Heathrow crashed short of the runway at East Midlands Airport during an attempted emergency landing, killing 47 of the 126 people on board. The Boeing 737 had been cruising at 35,000 feet when a fan blade on the left engine fractured due to metal fatigue. The crew mistakenly shut down the working engine, and moments before impact a final announcement instructed passengers to 'prepare for crash landing.' The plane struck the ground, bounced over the M1, and tore through trees and a lamppost. Investigators found that the aircraft's new engines had been tested only in labs, not under real-flight conditions. Both pilots were seriously injured and later dismissed by the airline amid criticism of cockpit decision-making. An Iberia Airlines flight from Malaga to Heathrow flew into the southern slope of Blackdown Hill in West Sussex on November 4, 1967. More Trending The plane was on approach to Heathrow when it clipped trees before skidding across a field and killing 88 grazing sheep. Investigators could not find out why the plane did not stick to its assigned flight level and audio recordings showed no evidence of any failure in the aircraft. A theory remains that the flight crew misread their altitude meter, which warns pilots when the altitude falls below 10,000 feet. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: British man who was sat at front of plane believed to be the only survivor of Air India crash MORE: Boeing plane safety: Should you be worried about flying on its aircraft? MORE: Everything we know about the Ahmedabad to London Air India AI171 plane crash
South Wales Argus
12-06-2025
- South Wales Argus
Timeline of deadly plane crashes involving UK flights
Here is a timeline of some of the previous worst crashes involving flights to or from UK airports. – June 1967 A British Midland flight crashed in Stockport, a short distance from Manchester airport, carrying holidaymakers returning from Majorca, Spain. The incident killed 72 people. – November 1967 All 37 people onboard Iberia Airlines flight 062 from Malaga, Spain, to Heathrow died when it crashed into Blackdown Hill in West Sussex. – January 1969 Fifty people died when an Ariana Afghan Airlines plane crashed on approach to Gatwick airport. – June 1972 A British European Airways plane crashed in Staines, Surrey, shortly after taking off from Heathrow airport. All 118 passengers and crew died. – August 1985 A British Airtours plane bound for Corfu, Greece, caught fire on the runway at Manchester airport. Eighty people escaped but 55 were killed, mostly by smoke inhalation. – December 1988 All 259 passengers and crew and 11 people on the ground were killed when Pan Am Flight 103 exploded above the Scottish town of Lockerbie 40 minutes into its flight from London Heathrow to New York. It remains the UK's deadliest terrorist atrocity. Former Libyan intelligence officer Abdelbaset al-Megrahi is the only man convicted in relation to the bombing. – January 1989 Forty-seven people were killed and 67 were seriously injured when a British Midland 737 plane crashed while trying to make an emergency landing at East Midlands airport following an engine fire. It struck the M1 in Kegworth after failing to reach the runway.
