Chilling fate of Lockerbie victims who survived six-mile fall from sky (2024)

A total of 270 people died in the Pan Am Flight 103 Lockerbie bombing, but it's believed two American victims could well have survived the initial six-mile fall from the sky

For those living in Lockerbie, the events of December 21, 1988, still cast a shadow to this day. That evening, just as many families gathered to celebrate the Christmas season, a bomb was detonated aboard a Pan Am Flight 103, right above the small Scottish market town.

Tonnes of wreckage rained down on Lockerbie, with 11 residents on the ground below losing their lives alongside the 259 people onboard, bringing the terrible death toll up to 270. The Lockerbie bombing remains the deadliest terror attack to ever occur on UK soil, and those who witnessed the devastation first-hand have never been able to forget it.

Nearly 35 years after she first reported from the scene as a young journalist, TV host Lorraine Kelly has returned to Lockerbie for heartbreaking ITV documentary Return To Lockerbie With Lorraine Kelly, opening up about the PTSD she suffered as a result. In the years since, authorities have built up a clearer picture of what exactly happened that night, with a chilling report suggesting at least two people could have survived the six-mile fall from the sky.

According to findings published in The Sunday Times 10 years after the tragedy, research shared in pathologist's report would suggest that two American victims could well have survived the initial fall to earth, only to later die of exposure. As per an article published in the journal of the Medico-Legal Society, Edinburgh University professor of forensic medicine Anthony Busuttil stated that one victim, an unnamed man in his 40s, had only sustained a broken leg.

Another anonymous victim, this time a young woman. was discovered with broken ribs, a fractured leg, and a small amount of bleeding in her brain. With both of these victims, their injuries would indicate that they could have managed to slow or break their fall in some way. Professor Busuttil wrote: "If the same two people had been found after a car accident, their chances of survival would not have been bad. The theory is that they parachuted in some way and somehow their fall was cushioned. The chances are that exposure and blood loss may have had some say in their death. The question was: could they have survived?"

This report also revealed that some bodies showed signs that their hearts may have continued beating either after the explosion or even after they hit the ground. This would appear to support an account given in a book written by helicopter squadron pilot David McMullon, who claimed to have seen one victim apparently clutching a handful of grass during the desperate search.

After the findings were published, Jim Swire, who lost his daughter Flora in the bombing, told the Times: "We have always been told by the authorities that none of the victims could have been saved. But you could say that they would say that, wouldn't they."

According to a separate report published in The Guardian, It took more than 10 days to recover all the bodies. Former detective inspector Alexander McLean stated that the search had been hampered by the fact that one million sewing needles were being carried as cargo on the doomed Boeing 747. McLean said: "They landed with the fuselage in the B sector (the Rosebank area of the town) and we found that some officers were getting pricked with needles. We had to spread a tarpaulin and move inch by inch. They caused a bit of a hazard, so recovery of bodies took a wee bit longer than it would have done. The search was carried out very, very meticulously and slowly because we didn't want to mutilate the bodies further."

If you're struggling and need to talk, the Samaritans operate a free helpline open 24/7 on 116 123. Alternatively, you can email jo@samaritans.org or visit their site to find your local branch

Return To Lockerbie With Lorraine Kelly will air 9pm, Wednesday, November 15 on ITV1

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