This Day in History June 23, 1985

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I don't really remember this happening, but it is an event that did happen during my lifetime.  It was on this date in 1985 that the deadliest plane disaster in aviation history occurred.  Air India Flight 182 went down as a result of a bomb explosion.  It was en route to Canada from India with a stopover in London Heathrow.  The explosive was in a checked bag of a passenger who never officially boarded.

This was the worst mass murder in modern Canadian history, and until 9/11, it was the costliest disaster in terms of lives lost.  All 329 people on the plane died.  Some of the people survived the initial explosion but either drowned or died in the cold water.

Canadians are probably more familiar with the court case issues involving this since it was handled in their country and paid for by them.  If you are interested, you can check out the websites listed at the end of this post.

As I read this story, I was reminded yet again of the brevity of life.  I am sure that each of those passengers and crew members boarded that flight routinely as if it were a normal day.  They did not get on that flight expecting it to be their last.  When death came, I am sure it came quickly.  They may have had a few moments to understand and anticipate the fact that they were dying or going to die.  I think the worst must have been those who survived the explosion and knew they were going to crash in the water.  Maybe some of those hoped for a chance to survive.  I can only hope and pray that they knew where they were going when they realized the imminence of death.

For more information, please check out:
http://www.x-rayscreener.com/?CategoryID=332&ArticleID=175
http://www.firstpost.com/tag/air-india-flight-182
http://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Air_India_Flight_182
http://www.cbc.ca/news/airindia/
http://www.airdisaster.com/special/special-ai182.shtml
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_India_Flight_182#Recovery_of_wreckage_and_bodies