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American Airlines Flight 444: Difference between revisions

Coordinates: 38°57′11″N 77°27′00″W / 38.953°N 77.450°W / 38.953; -77.450
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| image = 8hw - American Airlines Boeing 727-223; N876AA@MIA;24.01.1998 (4752591798).jpg
| image = 8hw - American Airlines Boeing 727-223; N876AA@MIA;24.01.1998 (4752591798).jpg
| alt =
| alt =
| caption = An American Airlines Boeing 727-223 identical to the one involved in the incident.
| caption = The American Airlines Boeing 727-223 involved in the incident.
| occurrence_type = Occurrence
| occurrence_type = Occurrence
| date = November 15, 1979
| date = November 15, 1979
| summary = Bombing (attempted)
| summary = Bombing
| site = near [[Washington Dulles International Airport]]
| site = near [[Washington Dulles International Airport]]
| coordinates = {{Coord|38.953|-77.450|type:event_globe:earth_region:US-DC|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates = {{Coord|38.953|-77.450|type:event_globe:earth_region:US-DC|display=inline,title}}
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| aircraft_name =
| aircraft_name =
| operator = [[American Airlines]]
| operator = [[American Airlines]]
| tail_number = Unknown
| tail_number = N876AA
| origin = [[Chicago O'Hare International Airport]]
| origin = [[Chicago O'Hare International Airport]]
| stopover =
| stopover =
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| survivors = 78 (all)
| survivors = 78 (all)
}}
}}
'''American Airlines Flight 444''' was a scheduled [[American Airlines]] flight from [[Chicago]] to [[Washington, D.C.]]'s [[Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport|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]].<ref name="washingtonpost">{{cite news |last=Lynton |first=Stephen J. |last2=Sager |first2=Mike |last3=Harden |first3=Blaine |date=1979-11-16 |title=Bomb Jolts Jet |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1979/11/16/bomb-jolts-jet/f0cb8543-c2ab-44c5-bdd5-203c53efffe1/ |access-date=2015-12-12 |issn=0190-8286}}</ref><ref name="1986Tribune">{{cite news |last=O'Brien |first=John |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1986/03/04/federal-state-officials-team-up-to-hunt-creator-of-11-bombs/ |title=Federal, State Officials Team Up To Hunt Creator Of 11 Bombs |work=[[Chicago Tribune]] |date=1986-03-04 |access-date=2015-12-12 }}</ref><ref name="aviation-safety">{{Cite web |last=Ranter |first=Harro |title=ASN Aircraft accident Boeing 727-223 Adv. N876AA Washington-Dulles International Airport, DC (IAD) |url=https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19791115-1 |access-date=2020-12-22 |website=Aviation Safety Network |publisher=[[Flight Safety Foundation]]}}</ref> Twelve passengers had to be treated afterward for [[smoke inhalation]].<ref name="1986Tribune"/>


Bombing a commercial airliner, especially one flying through an interstate route as Flight 444 was at the time, and still is, a federal criminal offense. After the incident, the [[FBI]] was quickly called in to investigate. The FBI investigators assigned to the case found similarities between the still relatively intact pipe bomb and two bombs that had previously detonated at [[Northwestern University]]. This prompted federal authorities to assign the name "Unabomber" (for University and Airline Bomber) to the then-unknown suspect, and sparked one of the longest and most expensive manhunts in FBI history, which finally ended 17 years later with [[Ted Kaczynski]] being arrested and charged in 1996.
'''American Airlines Flight 444''' was a scheduled [[American Airlines]] flight from [[Chicago]] to [[Washington, D.C.]]'s [[Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport|National Airport]]. On November 15, 1979, the [[Boeing 727]] serving the flight was attacked by "the Unabomber", [[Ted Kaczynski]], who placed a bomb on board. The bomb, planted in the cargo hold, 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 [[Washington Dulles International Airport|Dulles International Airport]].<ref name="washingtonpost">{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1979/11/16/bomb-jolts-jet/f0cb8543-c2ab-44c5-bdd5-203c53efffe1/ |title=Bomb Jolts Jet |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=1979-11-16 |access-date=2015-12-12 }}</ref><ref name="1986Tribune">{{cite news |last=O'Brien |first=John |url=http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1986-03-04/news/8601160614_1_bomb-fragments-parcel-airliner |title=Federal, State Officials Team Up To Hunt Creator Of 11 Bombs |work=[[Chicago Tribune]] |date=1986-03-04 |access-date=2015-12-12 }}</ref><ref name="aviation-safety">{{Cite web|last=Ranter|first=Harro|title=ASN Aircraft accident Boeing 727 registration unknown Washington-Dulles International Airport, DC (IAD)|url=https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19791115-1|access-date=2020-12-22|website=aviation-safety.net|publisher=[[Aviation Safety Network]]}}</ref> Twelve passengers had to be treated afterward for [[smoke inhalation]].<ref name="1986Tribune"/> It was later determined{{bywhom|date=May 2021}} that the bomb was powerful enough to have destroyed the aircraft if it had worked correctly.{{Citation needed|date = May 2021}}

This was not the first Unabomber attack, but it led to the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]] investigation into the Unabomber as airliner bombing is a [[federal crime in the United States|federal crime]].{{citation needed|date = May 2021}}


==References==
==References==
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== External links ==
== External links ==
{{Portal|United States|Aviation}}
{{Portal|United States|Aviation|Modern history}}
* {{ASN accident|id=19791115-1|type=Non-hull loss}}
{{American Airlines}}
{{American Airlines}}
{{Aviation accidents and incidents in 1979}}
{{Aviation accidents and incidents in 1979}}
{{Aviation accidents and incidents in the United States in the 1970s}}
{{Ted Kaczynski}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:American Airlines Flight 444}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:American Airlines Flight 444}}
[[Category:Failed airliner bombings]]
[[Category:Failed airliner bombings]]
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[[Category:Airliner accidents and incidents in Washington, D.C.]]
[[Category:Airliner accidents and incidents in Washington, D.C.]]
[[Category:Airliner accidents and incidents in Illinois]]
[[Category:Airliner accidents and incidents in Illinois]]
[[Category:Terrorist incidents in North America in 1979]]
[[Category:Failed terrorist attempts in the United States]]
[[Category:Failed terrorist attempts in the United States]]
[[Category:American Airlines accidents and incidents|444]]
[[Category:American Airlines accidents and incidents|444]]
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[[Category:Crimes in Washington, D.C.]]
[[Category:Crimes in Washington, D.C.]]
[[Category:November 1979 events in the United States]]
[[Category:November 1979 events in the United States]]
[[Category:Terrorist incidents in the United States in the 1970s]]
[[Category:Terrorist incidents in the United States in 1979]]
[[Category:Accidents and incidents involving the Boeing 727]]
[[Category:Accidents and incidents involving the Boeing 727]]
[[Category:1979 in Virginia]]

Latest revision as of 22:53, 10 September 2024

American Airlines Flight 444
The American Airlines Boeing 727-223 involved in the incident.
Occurrence
DateNovember 15, 1979
SummaryBombing
Sitenear Washington Dulles International Airport
38°57′11″N 77°27′00″W / 38.953°N 77.450°W / 38.953; -77.450
Aircraft
Aircraft typeBoeing 727-223
OperatorAmerican Airlines
RegistrationN876AA
Flight originChicago O'Hare International Airport
DestinationWashington National Airport
Occupants78
Passengers72
Crew6
Fatalities0
Injuries12
Survivors78 (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, and still is, a federal criminal offense. After the incident, the FBI was quickly called in to investigate. The FBI investigators assigned to the case found similarities between the still relatively intact pipe bomb and two bombs that had previously detonated at Northwestern University. This prompted federal authorities to assign the name "Unabomber" (for University and Airline Bomber) to the then-unknown suspect, and sparked one of the longest and most expensive manhunts in FBI history, which finally ended 17 years later with Ted Kaczynski being arrested and charged in 1996.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Lynton, Stephen J.; Sager, Mike; Harden, Blaine (1979-11-16). "Bomb Jolts Jet". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ 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.
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