1974 — Sep 8, TWA Flight 841, Tel Aviv to NYC, terrorist bomb, Ionian Sea –US >20 of 88

–88 Associated Press. “88 Feared Dead in Crash.” Austin Daily Texan. 9-9-1974, p. 19.
–>13 U.S.
–88 Associated Press. “Air Crash Victims Recovered.” Star-News, Pasadena CA. 9-10-1974, A2.
— 20 U.S. (3 crew, 17 US citizens)
–88 Eckert. “Fatal commercial air transport crashes, 1924-1981.” AMFMP, 3/1, March 1983.
–88 NTSB. AAR, Trans World Airlines…Boeing 707…in the Ionian Sea, [Sep] 8, 1974. 1975, 1.
–88 New York Times. “TWA Lists Passengers.” 9-9-1974, p. 7.

–>19 U.S. We have been able to authenticate 19 U.S. lives lost from newspaper sources below.

Narrative Information

NTSB Synopsis: “At 0940 Greenwich mean time, September 8, 1974, Trans World Airlines, Inc., Flight 841, crashed into the Ionian Sea about 50 nmi west of Cephalonia, Greece. There were 79 passengers and 9 crew-members on board; no one survived. The aircraft was destroyed.

“The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was the detonation of an explosive device with the aft cargo compartment of the aircraft which rendered the aircraft uncontrollable.

1. Investigation

“1.1 History of the Flight: Trans World Airlines (TWA) Flight 841, a Boeing 707-331B, N8734, was a regularly scheduled international passenger and cargo flight from Ben Gurion International Airport. Tel Aviv, Israel, to John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York, New York. En route stops were scheduled at Athenai Airport in Athens, Greece, and Leonardo Da Vinci Airport in Rome, Italy.

“The flight departed Tel Aviv at 0613, 43 minutes late because it was delayed by passenger security procedures. There were 105 passengers., 9 crewmembers, and 5,186 lbs. of cargo aboard. The cargo consisted of mail, checked baggage, airfreight, and company material; 3,875 lbs. was placed in the front cargo compartment and 1,311 lbs. was placed in the rear cargo compartment. No restricted articles were loaded.

“At 0804, Flight 841 landed at Athens. The crew had not reported any mechanical difficulties while en route, nor was any maintenance required or accomplished at Athens. Fifty-six passengers deplaned and their baggage and some cargo was offloaded.

“Thirty passengers boarded the flight at Athens, bringing the number of passengers to 79. Most of the checked baggage for the boarding passengers was placed in the aircraft’s forward cargo compartment. Some baggage and cargo were loaded in the rear cargo compartment where containers are not used. The rear compartment is normally used for cargo, mail, and the checked baggage of late arriving passengers.

“According to TWA ground service personnel in Athens, one transit cargo container with bags destined for Rome was left unopened, in the front cargo compartment. Four containers were offloaded and emptied, and three were then refilled with originating bags. The four containers, including the empty one, were then placed aboard. The originating Athens mail was also loaded into the forward compartment. Baggage handlers stated that there were 30 to 35 passenger bags in the rear cargo compartment en route from Tel Aviv and destined for Rome or New York; however, they could not recall exactly how many pieces of checked baggage were loaded in that compartment at Athens.

“Three thousand lbs. of jet A-1 fuel was added at Athens; additional oil was not required. According to the TWA servicing crew, no un-identified or unknown personnel were seen in the loading area while TWA 841 was on the ground at Athens.

“The flight filed an instrument flight plan with an estimated 1 hour 48 minutes flight time to Rome and requested a flight level of 35,000 feet (FL 350). Athens control cleared the flight to Rome, via Airway Green 8, at FL140. After takeoff, the flight was to proceed via Standard Instrument Departure No. 6, then to Korinthos (Corinth), to maintain FL 120 until given further clearance…

“At 0912, the flight departed Athens. At 0930, TWA 841 reported level at FL 280 and acknowledged ATC instructions to maintain that altitude and to report upon reaching the next Flight Information Region (FIR). This was the last known radio transmission of the flight. All contacts had been routine flight reports.

“At 0939, Pan American Flight 110 (Pan Am 110), eastbound from Rome, Italy, to Beirut, Lebanon, at FL 330 on Airway Green 8, entered the Athens FIR, reported to Athens ATC, and gave an estimated arrival time at Araxos of 9751. At 0940, the captain of Flight 110 alerted Athens ATC that he had seen ‘a four-engine aircraft going down in flames at their position, which as about 100 nmi west of Araxos…

“Communication between Pan Am 110 and Athens ATC was weak, so Olympic Airlines Flight 201, which was flying in the area, relayed messages between Pan Am 110 and ATC. For the next several minutes, both Athens ATC and Olympic Flight 201 attempted to make radio contact with TWA 841 but were unsuccessful. At 0943, after Olympic Flight 201 asked Pan Am 110 what type aircraft was on fire, Pan Am 110 replied that there had been a mistake, since the aircraft was not burning. The Pan American pilot said that he thought the airplane was a B-707 and that it was a TWA aircraft. He also stated that it appeared that an engine had separated from the aircraft. When asked by Olympic Flight 201 if he saw the engine falling or the aircraft falling, the pilot said, ‘No, the aircraft is falling too. I saw an aircraft pitch up into a steep climb then roll over on its back and start in a dive, then a slow spiral…’

“Immediately after Pan Am 110 described the falling aircraft, Athens ATC telephoned Brindisi and other control centers, followed by inquiries to airports in the area of the TWA flight. The Greek Search and Rescue (SAR) Control Center was notified and a Greek SAR C-47 aircraft was dispatched. About 2 ½ hour after the accident, the crew of this aircraft reported debris and bodies at coordinated 38⁰ 25′ north latitude and 19⁰ 22′ east longitude. [pp. 1-3] ….

“The captain [Pan Am] stated that he first saw Flight 841 at the 11 o’clock position, on a reciprocal heading, about 4 to 7 miles away, and about 4,000 feet below him. The aircraft appeared to be in level flight and in normal configuration. The captain had no reason to be concerned about that aircraft and looked away for a few moments. Ehen he saw the aircraft again it was in a steep climb attitude, which kept increasing. He also thought he saw an object behind the left wing of the aircraft, about a wingspan away. When the aircraft passed abeam, it had reached about the same altitude as Pan Am 110. It then rolled to the left into a steep descent, and was rolling to the left as it disappeared from his view. At that time, he noticed that an engine was missing and speculated that the object he had seen when he first saw the aircraft in a steep climb might have been the No. 2 engine. He also was aware of a considerable amount of debris below his own flight level. He did not see any smoke; however, he did see a whitish vapor coming from the left wing and believed it to be fuel. He said that the debris he noted below Flight 841 looked like pieces of paper fluttering down. He indicated that there was one large rectangular piece and that the debris appeared to shine. He estimated that there were about 25 to 30 pieces of debris through which Flight 841 descended and thought that the debris was at Flight 841’s original flight level. The captain commented that he thought that no attempt was made to recover. He saw at least one full 360⁰ roll as the aircraft went down. The captain estimated that his observations lasted about 20 seconds…. [p.4]

“…. The bodies of 24 passengers were recovered from the sea….[p.5]

“…Neither the FDR [flight data recorder] nor the CVR [cockpit voice recorder] was recovered….” [p.7]

“1.12.4 Recovery

“By the time the FDR pinger was located, two British explosives experts had completed their examination of selected debris in the Safety Board’s laboratory and had concluded that the physical evidence indicated the detonation of an explosive device.” [p.11]

“….FBI Report

“The FBI conducted two laboratory examinations of recovered debris…[p.17] it was concluded that the objects from which these metal parts originated were damaged as a result of exposure to the detonation of a high order explosive.’….The FBI findings were consistent with, and corroborated, the findings of the RARDE [Royal Armament Research and Development Establishment, UK Department of Defense]….” [pp. 17-18]

“1.17.1 Security

“Investigation disclosed that Flight 841’s passengers and luggage had been processed in Tel Aviv and Athens….In Tel Aviv, these procedures included the examination of all carry-on and checked baggage, while in Athens, only the carry-on baggage was examined. TWA procedures in Athens insured that no unaccompanied checked baggage would be loaded on the aircraft. After the accident, the security examinations at Athens were increased to include examination of checked baggage….” [p.19]

“1.17.2 TWA Rome, Italy, Incident

“On August 26, 1974, there was an incident involving TWA Flight 841 from Athens to Rome. When the ramp agent in Rome opened the rear cargo compartment door, he noticed smoke. Maintenance personnel and airport authorities responded immediately with firefighting equipment, and the smoke source was suppressed. All bags were removed and it was determined that the ag that caused the fire was the property of a passenger who readily came forward and identified it. Italian authorities examined the bag and concluded that the fire probably began when the batteries of a tape recorder caused leaked lighter fluid to ignite. Bothe items were in the suitcase. The aircraft was not damaged, and the passenger was allowed to continue to his destination.

“On September 18, 1974, the suitcase and its contents were delivered to the FBI laboratory in Washington, D.C. The FBI found small particles of unconsumed C-4, a military-type high explosive, and other evidence of an ‘improvised explosive device or bomb which malfunctioned, resulting in a fire, rather than the intended detonation.’

“When it became evident that this suitcase had contained an explosive device, attempts were made to determine the whereabouts of the passenger who had identified the suitcase. These attempts have been unsuccessful to date….” [p. 19]

Analysis and Conclusions

“2.1 Analysis

“….Based on the abrupt initial change in Flight 841’s flightpath, the vapor from the left wing, and the probability that the No. 2 engine mounting structure was overloaded, the Safety Board believes that there were sudden and violent inputs into the rudder and elevator controls in excess of the crew’s and the control system’s capabilities. Simultaneous mechanical pitch and yaw inputs of that magnitude can be accounted for by the detonation of an explosive device. Therefore, based on the available evidence the Safety Board concludes that the detonation of such a device affected the elevator and rudder control cables which caused the pitchup and uncontrollable descent….

“In conclusion, the Safety Board believes that the detonation of an explosive device in the aft cargo compartment bucked and damaged the cabin floor in such a manner that one or more of the elevator and rudder system control cables was stretched and, perhaps, broken. The resultant displacement of the control surfaces caused a violent pitchup and yaw and made the aircraft uncontrollable….”
[pp. 21-22]

Newspapers

Sep 9, AP: “Athens (AP) – A TWA Boeing 707 jetliner crashed into the stormy Ionian Sea off Greece on Sunday, and Greek aviation officials said all 88 persons aboard were believed killed. Airline officials said 17 Americans including an infant, were aboard the plane. Italian police said two of the victims were Frederick Hare, an officer of Johnson & Johnson, and his wife Peggy of Raritan, N.J. A Johnson & Johnson spokesman in New Jersey confirmed that Hare is an executive with the company….The nationalities of 30 passengers who joined the flight in Athens and the nine crew members were not immediately known…” (Associated Press. “88 Feared Dead in Crash.” Austin Daily Texan. 9-9-1974, p. 19.)

Sep 9, Oakland Tribune, CA: “Four members of a Richmond [wester Contra Costa County, CA] family were among the 88 persons who are believed to have been killed when a TWA jetliner crashed into the Ionian Sea yesterday after leaving Athens. Mrs. Alice Benedict, 36, her two sons and a stepdaughter, all returning from a summer vacation with Mrs. Benedict’s relatives in Greece, were among the passengers aboard the ill-fated flight. Her husband, Lee H. Benedict, a computer programmer who lives at the family home at 721 Yuba St., was described as being in deep shock. In addition to his wife, two sons, Jeff 7, and Jimmy, 5, and stepdaughter, Mary Yerondopolis Benedict, 16, were on the plane.

“In all, 13 Californians, including three children flying alone, were aboard the flight to Los Angeles….

“Spokesmen for TWA in New York and Los Angeles told The Tribune that other passengers included three children of Dr. and Mrs. George Argyropoulos of Pasadena, Dimitrios, Monica and Spiros. The family had spent a summer vacation in Greece. Dr. Argyropoulos had returned to California earlier, and the three children had been put on the plane in Athens by their mother, who was to follow later.

“Also believed lost in the crash were Alex Karas of Fresno, his wife, Elaine, an infant son, Peter, and another member of the family, Spiros Karas, and two people from Modesto, Mrs. Joanna Wallace and her son, Gregory….

“TWA said the members of the flight crew were Capt. Don H. Holliday, First Officer John L. Cheshire and Flight Engineer Ralph H. Bosh, all based in New York. It said the six cabin attendants were Europeans.” (Oakland Tribune, CA. “Bay Family Among 88 Plane Dead.” 9-9-1974, pp. 1 and 10F.)

Sep 9, NYT: “Following is a list of crew and passengers aboard the Trans World Airlines plane that crashed yesterday off Greece The list was supplied by the airline’s New York office. The names of the six cabin crew members have not yet been released.

“Crew Members

HOLLIDAY, Capt. Don H. [New York City]
CHESHIRE, Jon L., first officer [New York City]
BOSH, Ralph H., flight engineer [New York City]

“New York-Bound Passengers

ARGYROPOULOS, D. (child) [Pasadena, CA]
ARGYROPOULOS, M. (child) “
ARGYROPOULOS, S. (child) “
BENEDICT, Mrs. Alice [Richmond, CA]
BENEDICT, Jeff (child) “ [Son of Alice]
BENEDICT, Jimmy (child) “ [Son of Alice]
BENEDICT, Miss Mary [Richmond, CA] [Stepdaughter of Alice]
BHAMBHAN
CHAKALAKIS, Mr. A.
CHINOY
DENKI
DICKER, Mr. and Mrs.
GILDAY [John] [Fort Worth, TX]
ISRAEL
KARAS, Mr. Alex [Fresno, CA, husband of Elaine, father of Peter]
KARAS, Mrs. J,
KARAS, Mrs. Elaine [Fresno, CA, wife of Alex]
KARAS, Peter (infant) [Fresno, CA, son of Alex]
KARAS, Mr. Spiros [Fresno, CA?] [Was member of Karas fam.]
LESPERARCE
LOWE
MICHEL
MICHEL
ORPHAN, K. (child)
ORPHAN, Mrs. M. E.
ORPHAN, T. (child)
PETRACOS, Mr. C.
SHAH
SHAH (infant)
STEFANIS, Mr. D.
STEMNIS, Miss S.
WALLACE, Mr. Gregory [Modesto, CA]
WALLACE, Mrs. Joanna [Modesto, CA]

“Rome-Bound Passengers
ABE
AMOUR
BARD, Mr. and Mrs.
GENHARD
GIOGI, S. A.
HARE, Mr. [Raritan, NJ]
HARE, Mrs. [Raritan, NJ]
KALZMAN, Mr. and Mrs.
KINJO
KINJO
KORRINGA, Miss M.
KOTANI
MARDKHAH
MICHEL, Mrs. Valentine
MILIANO, Mrs. Stelia
MIYAGI
NAKAHARA
NAKAIMA
NISHIMURA
REED, Dr. Dan
ROSENVASSER
SAKAMOTONN
SANMUGHATHANI, Mr. and Mrs.
SANTO, Mr. E. Jose
SCOPINCH
SEMIRAMIS, Miss Helene
SHAI, Mr. and Mrs.
SHOJI
SOJMEKA
STOHLMAN, Mr. and Mrs.
SUWANI, Mr. Ibrahim
SUWANI, Calyopatra (infant)
TARAGIMA
THEODORE, Stylianoa (child)
TOMA.
TORJMAN
TORJMAN
TORJMAN
TORJMAN
UECHIC”

(New York Times. “TWA Lists Passengers.” 9-9-1974, p. 7.)

Sep 10: “Athens (AP) – A U.S. 6th Fleet plane on Monday flew in the first bodies recovered from the Ionian Sea where a Trans World Airlines jetliner crashed, presumably killing all 88 persons aboard. The plane from the aircraft carrier Independence brought 18 bodies to the U.S. Air Force base near Athens airport for identification and examination to determine cause of death….

“The missing included 20 Americans, three of them crew members and three others members of the Argyropoulous family of Sierra Bonita Lane, Pasadena: Spires, 12; Demitris, 10; and Monica, 8…..

“…a group calling itself the Nationalist Youth for the Liberation of Palestine said in Beirut that one of its men set off an explosive device as the plane left Greek air space….Other Palestinian groups dismissed the bombing claim as Zionist propaganda. But the Nationalist Youth group said in Paris Monday it was planning more actions against airlines serving Israel. It said the operation was meant to execute six members of an Israeli death squad….” (Associated Press. “Air Crash Victims Recovered.” Star-News, Pasadena CA. 9-10-1974, p. A-2.)

Sep 10: “A member of Bell Helicopter’s engineering management team at Hurst was aboard the commercial TWA airliner which went down at sea Sunday some 100 miles off the coast of Greece. Bell officials have received confirmation that John F. Gilday was a passenger on Trans World Airlines flight 841, returning from a company business trip. He has been a senior project engineer for the company’s model 47 – the world’s first commercial licensed helicopter, and the more recent light-turbine model 206 JetRanger. His current title is senior project engineer for lightweight helicopters.” (Grand Prairie Daily News, TX. “Bell engineer on downed flight.” 9-10-1974, p. 8.)

Sources

Associated Press. “88 Feared Dead in Crash.” Austin Daily Texan. 9-9-1974, p. 19. Accessed 12-17-2021 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/austin-daily-texan-sep-09-1974-p-19/

Associated Press. “Air Crash Victims Recovered.” Star-News, Pasadena CA. 9-10-1974, p. A-2. Accessed 12-17-2021 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/star-news-sep-10-1974-p-3/

Eckert, William G., MD “Fatal commercial air transport crashes, 1924-1981.” American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology, vol. 3, No. 1, March 1983.

Grand Prairie Daily News, TX. “Bell engineer on downed flight.” 9-10-1974, p. 8. Accessed 12-17-2021 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/grand-prairie-daily-news-sep-10-1974-p-8/

National Transportation Safety Board. Aircraft Accident Report, Trans World Airlines, Inc., Boeing 707-331B, N8734, in the Ionian Sea, September 8, 1974. Washington, DC: NTSB, adopted March 26, 1975. Accessed 12-16-2021 at: https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/AAR7507.pdf

New York Times. “TWA Lists Passengers.” 9-9-1974, p. 7. Accessed 12-17-2021 at: https://www.nytimes.com/1974/09/09/archives/twa-lists-passengers-crew-members.html

Oakland Tribune, CA. “Bay Family Among 88 Plane Dead.” 9-9-1974, p. 1. Accessed 12-17-2021 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/oakland-tribune-sep-09-1974-p-1/

Thompson Funeral Home & Crematory. Obituaries. “Jean Gilday, November 12, 1925 – May 4, 2020.” Accessed 12-17-2021 at: https://thompsonfunerals.com/obituaries/jean-gilday/603/