Lockerbie: The Town that Taught the World a Lesson in Humanity
Lockerbie, Scotland, is a quaint sheep-farming town that is rich in Scottish culture, history and tradition, with roots going back as far as the Vikings and Romans. Nestled on the English border in Dumfries and Galloway, this enchanting and friendly locale serves as a welcoming gateway to Scotland from England and as a sheep-farming town for surrounding farms. Although Lockerbie is only roughly 75 miles from the bustling streets of Glasgow, it remains home to just a few thousand people. Sheep freely roam the pastures and stately Victorian architecture featuring locally quarried red sandstone borders the streets. This tight-knit community could never have imagined the horror that would tear through the night and rip through the very fabric of life in Lockerbie. To that same end, the rest of the world could never have comprehended the outpouring of compassion and the dedication shown by Lockerbie residents as they began the horrific task of digging through the bent and burning remains of Pan Am 103.
The People.....Their Stories
Lockerbie Victims
Wreckage from the bombing of Pan Am flight 103 destroyed 21 houses in the town of Lockerbie. Eleven residents died.
Compassion Amid Tragedy
Police officers, firefighters, rescue teams, and ordinary citizens rushed to the crash scenes, beginning the dark and daunting task of searching for survivors and recovering remains. In the days that followed, the people of Lockerbie, young and old, found their own ways to help.
Lockerbie Legacy Stories
Meet people who experienced the attack pr its aftermath. Hear stories of the actions and sacrifices of survivors, first responders, and other local heroes. Learn about ongoing efforts to keep flyers safe, seek the truth about the attack, and bring the terrorists to justice.
Lockerbie Then and Now
The Horrific Moment
It was shortly after 7:00 p.m. on December 21, 1988, just a few days before Christmas when Pan Am 103 exploded in the skies above Lockerbie. The plane wreckage and passengers rained down upon the town, its buildings, and the surrounding landscape. This maelstrom of burning jet fuel, jagged metal, and destruction stretch across 845 square miles
The plane’s nose cone, containing the cockpit and first-class cabin, crashed in a field near Tundergarth Church, three miles east of Lockerbie, where it became one of the most iconic images of the aftermath. The rear section of the fuselage fell in the Rosebank area of town. The central fuselage and fuel-laden wings tore through Sherwood Crescent neighborhood, resulting in an explosion that hurled 1,500 tons of debris into the air and left a 150-foot-long crater. The crash blew the roofs off of nearby homes and shattered doors and windows.
The impact was so intense that it registered as a seismic event of magnitude 1.6 on the Richter scale. Fires burned across an area more than a mile long and half-mile wide. Twenty-one houses were destroyed. Amid the violent attack’s wreckage were the bodies of 270 murder victims: 11 Lockerbie residents and 259 passengers and crew members. In an instant, Lockerbie had become a disaster zone.
Exploring Lockerbie's Iconic Sites
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Your story is our history
Share your unique story of how the December 21, 1988, terrorist attack affected your life. Preserve your memories and legacy while helping to create the most extensive digital library of personal stories about the Pan Am 103 attack.
