On the evening of December 21, 1988, Flora Swire boarded Pan Am Flight 103 at London’s Heathrow Airport for a transatlantic flight to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City. At 7:03 p.m. (GMT) the Boeing 747 leveled off at 31,000 feet. Moments later an explosion ripped the fuselage apart as the aircraft passed over Lockerbie, Scotland. All 250 passengers and crew died, along with several fatalities on the ground. Jim and Jane Swire were at home when news broke of the disaster and immediately thought of their daughter Flora who was on the doomed flight. And sadly, it was soon confirmed that she had died in what became one of the most infamous air disasters in history. Here, Jim Swire tells the story of their family’s ordeal as they seek answers and justice for the death of Flora and the other souls who perished that night. 

This book was published in 2021, thirty-three years after that horrific night but the pain is still there for the Swires. Jim takes us back to the days before the disaster to explain Flora’s reasons for the trip and to provide a picture of their lives which were abruptly changed. Life for the Swires is typical of the average family, and when Flora decides to visit the United States, nothing seems unusual. But unbeknownst to her and other passengers, there were people planning an act of air terrorism which remains one of aviation’s darkest moments. Further, it served as inspiration for the the long-term ambitions of other terorist most notably  Ramzi Yousef, convicted for his role in the bombing of the World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan on February 26, 1993. And by the time a conviction was secured, Swire would learn about the complicated world of diplomacy and hidden agendas. 

Flora’s death is beyond devastating and leaves the Swires with unanswered questions. Along with other families, he begins to search for answers and on October 1, 1990, a Fatal Accident Inquiry begins into the cause behind the destruction of Pan Am Flight 103. Swire also mentions the Lockerbie Air Disaster Group, composed of attorneys on both sides of the Atlantic, but its origin and plan remains mysterious throughout the book and I have not see anything further on it. As more evidence continues to evolve the story takes a sharp turn when Swire decides to visit Libya and confront its leader Muammar al-Quaddafi (1942-2011) about the country’s role in the crime. The move is shocking and results in a range of reactions explained by the author. In the United States, the Department of Justice announced Abdelbaset al-Megrahi (1952-2012) and Khalifa Fhimah as participants in the crime, and both men are put on trial. However, Swire begins to see that there is more than meets the eye.

As I read, I took note of strange aspects of the case which are still troubling. The statements of a break-in near the baggage where Pan Am 103 was parked by Raymond Manly, a security guard at Heathrow Airport, are unsettling. And the revelation of warnings sent to the airlines in the weeks leading up to the Pan Am disaster is gut wrenching. However, there is another dark side to the story which Swire addresses, but the full account is too long for the book. On July 3, 1988, the USS Vincennes shot down Iran Air Flight 655 over the Persian Gulf. This incident would come to haunt the investigation and subsequent trial and remain on Swire’s mind as the Lockerbie investigation and trial progressed. The appearance of a key witness named Tony Gauci (1944-2016) is also a pivotal moment in the story, but as readers will learn, there is more to his role and his testimony raised even more questions about the strength and accuracy of the prosecution’s case. The disturbing details surrounding Gauci’s role are discussed and raise questions regarding his truthfulness and the timeline of events. And the actions of powerful figures following al-Megrahi’s conviction and appeals, result in Swire’s view of western governments being altered. He and others believed that the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine General Command (PFLP-GC) was behind the bombing. Their arguments are compelling but officially the case is closed. However, it is up to the reader to decide if the convictions were the final word in the matter. 

I have recently learned that actor Colin Firth stars as Swire in the BBC television series ‘Lockerbie: A Search for Truth‘. While I have yet to watch it, the series is on my list of television shows to catch up on. There are also air crash investigation documentaries on YouTube about the Pan Am 103 disaster which are thorough. Of course, there are secrets about the disaster which will be lost to history, but we do have an accurate picture of a tragedy that had ample warning in the weeks leading up to it. And on September 11, 2001, the world would learn again about the importance of air safety after Boeing commercial jets struck each tower of the World Trade Center in my hometown of New York City, the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and the last jet crashing in Pennsylvania. I admit that going through airport security can feel like a hassle but it should remind us of the importance behind screening as the person sitting next to us may not have our best interest at heart. The victims of Pan Am Flight 103 will never have the security of modern screening, and their senseless deaths remain haunting and tragic. But we can be assured that Jim Swire will continue to search for the truth until his last day on this planet. Highly recommended. 

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B093YRXZ7C
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Birlinn (July 6, 2021)