Story Highlights
- historical event: A bomb that was placed exploded during flight, which literally cut the plane in half. A Colombian cartel that wanted to remove the presidential candidate was responsible for the attack. He, however, was not on the plane.
On this day occurred one of the worst bombings in aviation history. Specifically, a bomb was placed that blew up the plane with 107 passengers and crew members while flying at a speed of 794 kilometers per hour, at an altitude of around 4,000 meters. Subsequent investigation showed that the bomb, put in a briefcase, was brought inside by a man wearing a suit and placed near the fuel tank.
When the bomb exploded during flight, the explosion spread to the fuel tank, which literally cut the plane in half. Three people on the ground were killed by falling debris. A Colombian drug cartel was responsible for the attack. They thought that presidential candidate César Gaviria Trujillo, who they wanted to kill, would be on the plane. He, however, did not board the plane and later became President of Colombia.
