Cathay Pacific Flight 700Z
Encyclopedia
Cathay Pacific
Flight 700Z was a flight flying from Bangkok
to Hong Kong
's Kai Tak Airport
on 15 June 1972. There were 71 passengers and 10 crew on the flight. A bomb exploded in a suitcase placed under a seat in the cabin while the flight was flying at 29000 ft (8,839 m) (FL
290) over Pleiku
, South Vietnam
. The aircraft disintegrated and crashed. All people on board were killed.
A suspect in the bombing was declared not guilty at a trial due to a lack of evidence. Aviation Safety Network states that a police officer placed the bomb on the flight; his fiancée and his daughter were passengers. As of 2011, this was the last Cathay Pacific flight incident with fatalities.
Cathay Pacific
Cathay Pacific is the flag carrier of Hong Kong, with its head office and main hub located at Hong Kong International Airport, although the airline's registered office is on the 33rd floor of One Pacific Place...
Flight 700Z was a flight flying from Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
to Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
's Kai Tak Airport
Kai Tak Airport
Kai Tak Airport was the international airport of Hong Kong from 1925 until 1998. It was officially known as the Hong Kong International Airport from 1954 to 6 July 1998, when it was closed and replaced by the new Hong Kong International Airport at Chek Lap Kok, 30 km to the west...
on 15 June 1972. There were 71 passengers and 10 crew on the flight. A bomb exploded in a suitcase placed under a seat in the cabin while the flight was flying at 29000 ft (8,839 m) (FL
Flight level
A Flight Level is a standard nominal altitude of an aircraft, in hundreds of feet. This altitude is calculated from the International standard pressure datum of 1013.25 hPa , the average sea-level pressure, and therefore is not necessarily the same as the aircraft's true altitude either...
290) over Pleiku
Pleiku
Pleiku is a town in central Vietnam, located in that nation's central highland region. It is the capital of the Gia Lai Province; it is inhabited primarily by the Bahnar and Jarai ethnic groups, sometimes known as the Montagnards or Degar....
, South Vietnam
South Vietnam
South Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
. The aircraft disintegrated and crashed. All people on board were killed.
A suspect in the bombing was declared not guilty at a trial due to a lack of evidence. Aviation Safety Network states that a police officer placed the bomb on the flight; his fiancée and his daughter were passengers. As of 2011, this was the last Cathay Pacific flight incident with fatalities.