1973 Rome airport attacks and hijacking

Since the ousting of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) from Jordan, following the Jordanian-Palestinian civil war, the Palestinian military organizations made South Lebanon into its headquarters, enlisting militants from Palestinian refugee camps. South Lebanon was also referred to as Fatahland, due to the almost complete control of Fatah and other military Palestinian organizations over this officially Lebanese area, which they used to stage attacks against Israel, mainly targeting civilians, and to engage in international airflight terror campaign.

Pan Am Flight 110

A Pan Am Boeing 707-321, similar to the aircraft involved in the attack
Incident
Date	17 December 1973
Summary	Aircraft attack, arson
Site	Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino International Airport 41°48′01″N 12°14′20″E
Aircraft
Aircraft type	Boeing 707-321B
Aircraft name	Clipper Celestial
Operator	Pan Am
Registration	N407PA
Flight origin	Leonardo da Vinci Int'l Airport
Stopover	Beirut International Airport
Destination	Mehrabad Int'l Airport
Passengers	167
Crew	10
Fatalities	30
Injuries	20
Survivors	147

On 17 December 1973, Pan Am Flight 110 was scheduled to fly from Leonardo da Vinci International Airport in Rome to Beirut International Airport in Lebanon and then on to Tehran, Iran. At the controls of the Boeing 707-321B (registration N407PA,[4] name Clipper Celestial)[5] were Captain Andrew Erbeck,[6] First Officer Robert Davison, and Flight engineer Kenneth Pfrang.[7][8]

At approximately 12:51 PM (12:51) local time, just as Flight 110 was preparing to taxi, five Palestinian people made their way through the terminal building, armed with automatic firearms and grenades. The terrorists removed submachine guns from hand luggage bags and began firing throughout the terminal, shattering windows and killing two people. Crew in the cockpit of the aircraft were able to observe travelers and airport employees in the building running for cover. Captain Erbeck announced over the plane's public address system that there was some commotion in the terminal and ordered all on board to get down on the floor.

Several of the gunmen ran across the tarmac toward the Pan American jet, throwing one phosphorus incendiary and other hand grenades through the open front and rear doors of the aircraft.[9] The explosions knocked crew and passengers to the ground, and the cabin filled with thick, acrid smoke from the resulting fires. Flight attendants were able to open the emergency exit over the wing on one side of the plane; the other was obstructed by gunmen. The crew attempted to evacuate as many passengers as possible through the available exit, but twenty-nine passengers and Purser Diana Perez[7] died on the plane, including all eleven passengers in the first class section. Four Moroccan officials[10] heading to Iran for a visit, and Bonnie Erbeck, wife of the captain,[6] were among the dead.[11] Captain Erbeck survived the attack. Also killed were fourteen Aramco employees and employee family members.[7] The aircraft was destroyed.[5]

Lufthansa Flight 303

A Lufthansa Boeing 737, similar to the aircraft involved in the hijacking
Hijacking
Date	17 December 1973– 18 December 1973 (1973-12-18)
Summary	Aircraft hijacking
Site	Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino International Airport in Rome, Italy 41°48′01″N 12°14′20″E
Aircraft
Aircraft type	Boeing 737-100
Operator	Lufthansa
Registration	D-ABEY
Flight origin	Leonardo da Vinci Int'l Airport
1st stopover	Athens, Greece
2nd stopover	Damascus, Syria
Destination	Kuwait
Passengers	10 (excluding up to 5 terrorists)
Crew	4
Fatalities	2
Injuries	At least 2

Five other gunmen took several Italian hostages and Lufthansa ground crew members into a Lufthansa Flight 303 Boeing 737 (registration D-ABEY) waiting to depart for Munich.[12] An Italian customs police officer, Antonio Zara (20 years old), was shot dead on the ground when he first arrived on the place of attack, after the general alarm had been declared by the airport control tower. They then forced the crew, which was already on board, to move the plane towards the runway in order to take off. For the first part of the taxi, the aircraft was chased by several vehicles of Carabinieri and Guardia di Finanza (Italian military police), who then abandoned the chase following the threats of the hijackers to kill all the hostages on board. At 13.32, just over half an hour from the start of the action, the plane took off for Athens where it will arrive at 16:50.

It was reported that Kuwaiti authorities later took the hijackers to an air base for interrogation purposes. Kuwait announced that it had no intention of putting the hijackers on trial, and initially considered releasing the hijackers to the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). In March 1974, President Anwar Sadat of Egypt agreed to allow them to come to Cairo under the responsibility of the PLO, which said the men would be tried for carrying out an "unauthorized operation".

The five terrorists were later released under negotiations during another hijacking that took place on 21 November 1974, but were then returned to the custody of the PLO. It is unclear what happened to them after their return to the PLO.[13]

• List of accidents and incidents involving commercial aircraft
• List of aircraft hijackings
• List of terrorist incidents
• Terrorism in Europe

• Death in Rome Aboard Flight 110, TIME, 31 December 1973. Retrieved on 10 April 2007. (subscription required)
• "Arab Hijackers Land in Kuwait; Hostages Freed". The New York Times, 19 December 1973. Page 1. (subscription required)
• "Arab Guerrillas Kill 31 in Rome During Attack on U.S. Airliner, Take Hostages and Go to Athens". The New York Times, 18 December 1973. Page 1. (subscription required)
• Athens attack leaves 3 dead, BBC News, 5 August 1973. Retrieved on 10 April 2007.
• Gabriele Paradisi, Rosario Priore: La strage dimenticata Fiumicino 17 December 1973, Reggio Emilia 2015.