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.
It was found in a case labelled "crew" in the cockpit.
A few hours later police boarded a second TWA jet at the airport but nothing was found.
The aircraft which exploded in Las Vegas was thoroughly searched and left New York after the first bomb was discovered.
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.
Debris was blown more than 100 feet (30 metres) away but two security guards escaped uninjured.
One of them said: "It sounded like dynamite. I could see pieces of the plane flying through the air."
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.
TWA has ordered worldwide checks on all 240 of its aircraft following the initial bomb threat.
US President Richard Nixon said that the government would mobilise all resources "until the current threat is crushed."
letitroll: Wish you had started the thread with this line.... you had me panicked... now I remember TWA isn't even in businesss anymore...
Agreed...would be nice if this thread started with that line...and was under another heading besides "current events/politics", like "cs misc lounge"...not nice, Skimp.
druidess6308: Agreed...would be nice if this thread started with that line...and was under another heading besides "current events/politics", like "cs misc lounge"...not nice, Skimp.
This reminds me about the first broadcasting of "War of worlds" by Herbert Wales.In 1949 many people heard the play on radio broadcasting and thought that the Marsian inveadors came really.
jan45: This reminds me about the first broadcasting of "War of worlds" by Herbert Wales.In 1949 many people heard the play on radio broadcasting and thought that the Marsian inveadors came really.
sweetowen: See, I'm not the only one who didn't catch on.
No...and I should have...but I really haven't noticed what airlines I grew up with are still around and what ones aren't...I only know of the changes that happen with USAir/USAirways/what next? thanks to my family and location.
OMG Skimpy, I did not even think about them not being in business anymore. All I thought was, call my son and tell him how much I love him and then explain this message, geez man he just got home from Vegas. You really scared the crap out of me.
Hi all sorry if I offended anyone me bad.. If you read the article thoroughly you would have noticed that it mentioned a Boeing 707 which I can guess very few are still flying in the U.S. Also it mentioned that the U.S. President was Nixon and that the airline was TWA. I guess this shows if you have a headline people read that more than the story and make up their minds in a few seconds rather than a few minutes.
I again apologise if I caused any offense and I was not trying to do an Orson Welles (he did the radio War of the owrlds).
Fair Play to President Nixon ..Is he the New President or what
Its scary to think that people can still blow up planes and stuff even in these times..i think ill cancel my holiday to America now if it is going to be to dangerous to fly there..
jan45: This reminds me about the first broadcasting of "War of worlds" by Herbert Wales.In 1949 many people heard the play on radio broadcasting and thought that the Marsian inveadors came really.
Wasn't that H.G.Wells' "War Of The Worlds" done by Orson Welles?
Typical..............Ive just rang the American Embassy and they say they cant discuss anything and where did i get my information.needless to say i hung up
Are they stupid or what A president orders a full mobilisation and the Embassy dont know anything about it...........
omurchu22: Typical..............Ive just rang the American Embassy and they say they cant discuss anything and where did i get my information.needless to say i hung up Are they stupid or what A president orders a full mobilisation and the Embassy dont know anything about it...........
Probably to many calls congratulating O'Bama the new Irish American President
I dont do the religious threads no more if i can help it but the irish primeminister is a witch now ....
Im telling you , this world is becoming a scary place to live in .
Just heard back from the travel agent and he can organise us to fly into West Germany and maybe cross over to East Germany going through a checkpoint called Churley or something ....That sounds pretty nice but im worried about them border gaurds ......
Report threads that break rules, are offensive, or contain fighting. Staff may not be aware of the forum abuse, and cannot do anything about it unless you tell us about it. click to report forum abuse »
If one of the comments is offensive, please report the comment instead (there is a link in each comment to report it).
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.
It was found in a case labelled "crew" in the cockpit.
A few hours later police boarded a second TWA jet at the airport but nothing was found.
The aircraft which exploded in Las Vegas was thoroughly searched and left New York after the first bomb was discovered.
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.
Debris was blown more than 100 feet (30 metres) away but two security guards escaped uninjured.
One of them said: "It sounded like dynamite. I could see pieces of the plane flying through the air."
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.
TWA has ordered worldwide checks on all 240 of its aircraft following the initial bomb threat.
US President Richard Nixon said that the government would mobilise all resources "until the current threat is crushed."
Does anyone remember this?.