Air India 182 - 23rd June 1985
It was twenty years ago today on Sunday, 23rd June, 1985. Shannon High Level VHF lost contact with Air India 182 at about 0813 local. The aircaft, a Boeing 747-238, exploded in the air about 120 plus miles off the Cork and Kerry coast due to a bomb in the hold. All 327 crew and passengers were lost. The aeroplane had left Toronto bound for Heathrow before heading east again continuing her journey to Bombay.
A huge recovery operation was put in place with HQ at Cork Airport and SAR assets from Ireland, Britain, The United States and merchants ships at sea. Canadian Forces joined the recovery a few days later.
Today, the Prime Minister of Canada along with the President of Ireland are in the Cork area attending a memorial at Ahakista in County Cork, the nearest landpoint to the explosion. The case againt the alleged perpetrators collapsed in Canada earlier this year and the Canadian Government is now coming under a lot of pressure for a investigation (Royal Commission?) into how the case was handled from day one.
I was up at Cork Airport that day and recently I was visiting the grave of a friend at a local cemetery and closeby I came across the grave of one of the victims of AI182. So sad.
Rest in Peace AI182.