American Airlines Flight 444
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (July 2009) |
Washington National Airport | |
| Occupants | 78 |
|---|---|
| Passengers | 72 |
| Crew | 6 |
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 12 |
| Survivors | 78 (all) |
American Airlines Flight 444 was a scheduled American Airlines flight from Chicago to Washington, D.C.'s National Airport. On November 15, 1979, the Boeing 727 serving the flight was attacked by Ted Kaczynski (also known as the Unabomber), who sent a pipe bomb in the mail and set it to detonate at a certain altitude. The bomb partially detonated in the cargo hold and caused "a sucking explosion and a loss of pressure," which was then followed by large quantities of smoke filling the passenger cabin, forcing the pilots to make an emergency landing at Dulles International Airport.[1][2][3] Twelve passengers had to be treated afterward for smoke inhalation.[2]
Bombing a commercial airliner, especially one flying through an interstate route as Flight 444 was at the time, is a federal criminal offense, and the
References
- ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
- ^ a b O'Brien, John (1986-03-04). "Federal, State Officials Team Up To Hunt Creator Of 11 Bombs". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
- ^ Ranter, Harro. "ASN Aircraft accident Boeing 727-223 Adv. N876AA Washington-Dulles International Airport, DC (IAD)". Aviation Safety Network. Flight Safety Foundation. Retrieved 2020-12-22.
External links
- Non-hull loss description at the Aviation Safety Network
