Investigation Summary
The attack was carried out by five members of a radical Palestinian group, identified as belonging to Fatah (or a splinter group thereof). The flight was scheduled to fly from Rome to Beirut, Lebanon, before continuing to Tehran, Iran. After killing two people in the terminal, the militants targeted 'Clipper Celestial' (N407PA). The phosphorus grenades caused immediate, dense, toxic smoke, trapping passengers in the cabin. While flight attendants managed to open one over-wing exit, the other was blocked by the gunmen. Following the arson, the group took several Italian police officers hostage and commandeered Lufthansa Flight 303, a Boeing 737. They forced the crew to fly to Athens to demand the release of two Black September members held for a previous massacre. When Greek authorities refused, the hijackers flew to Damascus and then Kuwait. The incident highlighted the extreme vulnerability of airport security in the early 1970s and the complex geopolitical tensions surrounding Palestinian militant groups and European governments.
Final Conclusions
The destruction of Pan Am Flight 110 was a deliberate act of terrorism. The fatalities on the aircraft were primarily caused by smoke inhalation and thermal injuries resulting from the phosphorus grenades. The subsequent escape of the hijackers was facilitated by a series of international negotiations; although they were initially detained in Kuwait and later moved to Egypt, they were eventually released in 1974 following another hijacking in Tunisia specifically staged to secure their freedom.
Photographic Evidence (1)
Video Analysis
CBS News Clip: Pan Am Jet Attacked at Rome Airport (December 17, 1973) — Original news footage and survivor interviews detailing the terrorist attack and firebombing of Pan Am Flight 110 at Rome's Fiumicino Airport.
If playback is blocked, the owner has disabled embedding — use the link above.
Airframe & Maintenance
Systems & Failure Modes
Emergency Exits
Stewardesses successfully opened one over-wing exit, but the other was blocked by the presence of gunmen on the tarmac.
Public Address System
Captain Erbeck used the PA system to instruct passengers to get down on the floor just before the grenades were thrown.
Interesting Facts
- 01The aircraft, named Clipper Celestial, was destroyed by fire following the grenade attack.
- 02A total of 30 people died on the Pan Am jet: 29 passengers and 1 crew member (Purser Diana Perez).
- 03Among the fatalities on the Pan Am jet were 17 Aramco employees and family members, and the wife of the flight's captain.
- 04The attackers used phosphorus grenades which created smoke so dense that survivors reported being unable to see their own hands.
- 05Four senior Moroccan government officials were killed in the first-class cabin.
- 06The total death toll of 34 includes 30 from the Pan Am jet, 2 in the Rome terminal, 1 Lufthansa ground guard, and 1 hostage killed during the hijacking.
Safety Actions & Advisories
Airport Security Reform
The attack led to a significant tightening of security screenings for hand luggage in European terminals to prevent the smuggling of automatic weapons and grenades.
Known Controversies & Unanswered Questions
Lodo Moro Agreement
Reference ↗There are long-standing allegations that the Italian government had a secret 'non-belligerence' agreement with Palestinian militants, which may have influenced the lack of prosecution and the eventual release of the attackers.