This article is about the 1986 bombing. For the 1969 hijacking, see TWA Flight 840 (1969)

TWA Flight 840 (1969)

TWA Flight 840 was a Trans World Airlines flight from Leonardo Da Vinci International Airport in Rome, Italy to Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv, Israel, that was hijacked on 29 August 1969...

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Trans World Airlines

Trans World Airlines

Trans World Airlines was an American airline that existed from 1925 until it was bought out by and merged with American Airlines in 2001. It was a major domestic airline in the United States and the main U.S.-based competitor of Pan American World Airways on intercontinental routes from 1946...

 Flight 840, registration N54340, was a Boeing 727-231

Boeing 727

The Boeing 727 is a mid-size, narrow-body, three-engine, T-tailed commercial jet airliner, manufactured by Boeing. The Boeing 727 first flew in 1963, and for over a decade more were built per year than any other jet airliner. When production ended in 1984 a total of 1,832 aircraft had been produced...

 flying en route from Rome's Fiumicino Airport to Athens

Athens

Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...

. A bomb was detonated on the aircraft while it was over Argos, Greece, ejecting four American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 passengers (including a nine-month-old infant

Infant

A newborn or baby is the very young offspring of a human or other mammal. A newborn is an infant who is within hours, days, or up to a few weeks from birth. In medical contexts, newborn or neonate refers to an infant in the first 28 days after birth...

) to their deaths below. Five others on the aircraft were injured as the cabin suffered a rapid decompression. The remaining 110 passengers survived the incident as pilot Richard "Pete" Petersen made an emergency landing.

A group calling itself the Arab Revolutionary Cells claimed responsibility, saying it was committed because of "American arrogance" and clashes with Libya

Libya

Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....

 in the Gulf of Sidra

Gulf of Sidra

Gulf of Sidra is a body of water in the Mediterranean Sea on the northern coast of Libya; it is also known as Gulf of Sirte or the Great Sirte or Greater Syrtis .- Geography :The Gulf of Sidra has been a major centre for tuna fishing in the Mediterranean for centuries...

 the week before. 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

Lebanon

Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...

 woman (later arrested, never convicted) who worked for the Abu Nidal Organisation, which was opposed to the peace process. http://www.tkb.org/Incident.jsp?incID=4542

Victims, Deceased

• Demetra Stylianopoulos, 52 (mother of Maria Klug)
• Maria Styllan Klug, 25
• Demetra Klug (the infant, 8 months old and daughter of Maria)
• Alberto Ospina, 37

Injured

Police sources identified the injured Americans as Henry Sherman Siemsen, 70; his wife, Myrtle Faye Siemsen, 67 (both from Los Angeles, CA) and James Carlton Denon.
The four injured Greeks were identified as Panayotis Karasavas, George Matessis, Despinia Hioti and Eleni Phillips.

See also

• List of accidents and incidents on commercial airliners