Plane that mysteriously exploded and killed everyone on board still has no explanation 57 years later
A plane that mysteriously exploded and killed everyone on board still has no explanation as to what actually happened 57 years later.
On that fateful day, 66 people boarded the flight with no idea that it would lead to their death when the plane exploded over the Mediterranean.
The British European Airways Flight CY284 was bound for Athens, Greece, after taking off from Nicosia, Cyprus, on October 12 1967.
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However, it tragically never made it to its destination.
Air Traffic Control lost contact with the aircraft as it flew over the Mediterranean Sea before the plane crashed into the sea, killing everyone on board.
The wreckage was later uncovered in the water and an investigation found that the crash was likely to have been caused by a bomb exploding on board.
At the time, Cyprus was facing heightened political tensions and a conflict between its Greek and Turkish communities was ongoing.
This meant that terrorism was a serious threat and it has been suggested that the incident may have been an assassination attempt on a Cypriot militia man.
However, an official investigation never reached an actual conclusion and documents were sealed away by the Home Office until 2067.
Simon Hepworth’s father worked with flight captain Gordon Blackwood, who was one of the people killed in the explosion.
The retired police officer, 65, has been trying to find answers 57 years on from the incident.
Speaking to Metro, he said: “It was something my parents never forgot. My father had kept a set of BEA pilot wings that came from Gordon’s uniform and I was able to give them back to his daughter.
“For people who lost family members, it’s like a wound. There was no information for decades so the families were never able to get any kind of closure and that’s significant.”
Simon said that the Met Police had carried out a review in 2021 which determined that officials did not follow all of the apparent leads.
A Met Police spokesperson said as per Metro: “The bombing of CY284 in 1967 was an atrocity which claimed the lives of 66 people, including 21 UK nationals. No-one has been brought to justice, and there remains many unanswered questions.
“It is a mark of the courage and tenacity of the families of those who lost their lives on that fateful flight that they continue to campaign for justice.
“It was a complaint by a surviving relative in 2021 that prompted the Met to carry out a review of the enquiries made into this matter at the time it happened.
“We hope the findings of this review give those families further clarity and understanding about the circumstances of the attack, and what the Met and other partners did in the immediate aftermath.
“As with all reviews of past investigations, however long ago they occurred, we will reflect on what lessons we can learn and apply to the work we do today.
“We have remained focused on getting answers for the families and recently had the chance to attend a memorial for victims where we were able pay our respects with those families.”
LADbible Group has contacted Met Police for further comment.