The Tragedy of Flight 103: The Inside Story

Col. Wood:
Now, what are the aims of the terrorist? Any ideas?

Alert Trainee:
[translated from German] To kill people?

Col. Wood:
Well, yes. But, as Mao Tse Tung said, "Kill one, scare a thousand."

Col. Wood:
I purchased all these items quite openly from the duty-free. In the right hands, they could blow a 747 out of the air. Now, watch carefully...

Marwan Khreesat:
[before assembling a bomb, translated from Arabic] If the block's still standing, then you'll know I've done it right.

Ulrich Weber:
Koch, you typed up that agenda for tomorrow's meeting?

Oliver Koch:
Yes, I'm just doing it. Ulli?

Ulrich Weber:
Hm?

Oliver Koch:
I noticed there's nothing in here about security.

Ulrich Weber:
It's an administrative session!

Oliver Koch:
Well, I was just thinking about that warning we got a couple of weeks back.

Ulrich Weber:
What are you talking about?

Oliver Koch:
Well, you know, that... they picked up that cell and terrorist setup in Neuss. Something about bombs in tape recorders.

Ulrich Weber:
Pan Am didn't expect us to do anything special with that one.

Oliver Koch:
I recommend it should be on today's agenda.

Ulrich Weber:
You are going beyond your competence, Koch! This is not in your job description!

Oliver Koch:
I recommend that we take the batteries off of every single radio cassette player we find, okay?

Ulrich Weber:
We tell our people to go loose on the passenger's private property and smash half the things they touch? We'd go broke paying the damage claims.

Oliver Koch:
Ulli, it's the only way to ensure...

Ulrich Weber:
We'd be the only airline in the world going that would go to these lengths! Do you think our passengers would be willing to check in four hours before the flight? Or they're not going to complain because suddenly they're dragged off a jet, 'cause we couldn't match up a piece of luggage with the traveller? All these people want is to get home on time!

[pause]

Ulrich Weber:
Oliver, you've got to lighten up, pal. It's almost Christmas. When all is said and done, air travel is still safer than crossing the road.

[final conversation between flight 103 and air traffic control]

Capt. Jim McQuarrie:
Good evening, Scottish.

ATC Alan Topp:
Uh, this is Scottish. Ident, please.

Capt. Jim McQuarrie:
This is Clipper 103, requesting oceanic clearance.

ATC Alan Topp:
Clipper 103, good evening. Uh, for identification, squawk 0357 with ident please.

[pause, flight 103 appears on the radar screen]

ATC Alan Topp:
Clipper 103, route direct, 59 North 10 West to Kennedy. Maintain flight level 310.

[flight 103 disappears from the screen]

ATC Alan Topp:
Clipper 103? Clipper 103?

[pause]

ATC Alan Topp:
I've got multiple returns. It's showing five returns! They're fanning out downwind. Clipper 103, this is Scottish? Come in! Clipper 103? I've lost the Clipper!

Watch Controller Ford:
Shuttle reports an explosion on the ground.

ATC Alan Topp:
You're kidding! That must be the Clipper.

Narrator:
[following a bomb threat involving a Finnish woman] Other than screening Finnish passengers, Pan Am's procedures at Frankfurt Airport remained unchanged. There was no briefing of security personnel to update them on threat information.

[on the telephone, hands-free mode]

Yossi Langotsky:
Am I speaking to the chairman of Pan Am?

C. Edward Acker:
This is Acker.

Yossi Langotsky:
I've just put a bomb onto one of your planes of a trans-Atlantic flight out of Europe.

[picks up telephone]

C. Edward Acker:
This is not possible! Who is it?

Yossi Langotsky:
It's Yossi Langotsky. You'll be relieved to hear it's a dummy... this time.

C. Edward Acker:
Pulling stunts like this... is not the way I expect you to check out the security on this airline, Langotsky.

Yossi Langotsky:
Mr. Acker, in my view, it's only the will of providence that has saved your airline from terorrists attacks.

C. Edward Acker:
I don't want this to happen again. Do you understand me?

Yossi Langotsky:
Precisely. [hangs up]