23 June 1985 - Air India 182

Air India Flight 182 was an Air India flight operating on the Montréal-London-Delhi-Bombay route. On 23 June 1985, the airplane operating on the route was blown up in midair by a bomb in Irish airspace. The incident represents the largest mass murder in modern Canadian history.

The aircraft left Toronto almost 2 hours late due to the installation of a 5th spare engine, fitted below the left wing. The engine had to be ferried for repairs in India. After a stopover at Montreal, Flight 182 continued to London. The plane, a Boeing 747-237B (c/n 21473/330, reg VT-EFO) named Emperor Kanishka, exploded at an altitude of 31,000 feet (9,400 m) and crashed into the Atlantic Ocean. While some passengers survived the initial explosion and subsequent decompression, none survived the impact. In all, 329 people perished, among them 280 Canadian nationals, mostly of Indian birth or descent, and 22 Indians.

Investigation and prosecution took almost 20 years and was the most expensive trial in Canadian history, costing nearly CAD $130 million. A special Commission found the accused perpetrators not guilty and they were released. The only person convicted of involvement in the bombing was Inderjit Singh Reyat, who pleaded guilty in 2003 to manslaughter in constructing the bomb used on Flight 182 and received a five-year sentence. He was refused parole in July 2007.

Transcript of the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR)

Legenda
CAP = Captain
COP = Co-pilot
FE = Flight Engineer
AFP = Att. Flight Purser
IFP = In Flight Supervisor
AI182 = Air India radio communications by the Co-pilot
SR101, 1831, TW770, CP282 = other flight in the area