66 passengers and crew onboard the British European Airways CY284 were killed on 12 October 1967
66 passengers and crew members were killed on board an aircraft which exploded over the Mediterranean 57 years ago – and it still remains unclear why the incident happened.
The British European Airways (BEA) Flight CY284 was scheduled from Nicosia, Cyprus, to Athens, Greece, on October 12, 1967.
Operated on behalf of Cyprus Airways was the De Havilland DH.106 Comet 4B aircraft, which happened to be the world’s first commercial jet airliner.
Back then, it was developed and manufactured by de Havilland in the UK. For most of the flight, the plane progressed normally at an altitude of 29,000 feet.
A similar-looking plane to the one which crashed over the Mediterranean (Wikimedia Common)
However, contact was lost while the aircraft was travelling over the Mediterranean Sea.
The plane crashed into the sea near the island of Kastellorizo, killing all 66 passengers and crew on board.
Wreckage from the jet was later found scattered over the water, indicating that the aircraft had suffered a catastrophic event in mid-air.
Following an investigation into the crash, it was thought that the most likely cause was the explosion of a bomb on board.
Politically at the time, Cyprus was facing an ongoing conflict between Greek and Turkish communities, and terrorism was a significant threat.
It’s been suggested that the explosion could have been an assassination attempt on a Cypriot militia man, however, an official investigation never reached an actual conclusion and documents have been sealed away by the Home Office until 2067.
The plane crashed near the island of Kastellorizo (Diego Cupolo/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Simon Hepworth’s father worked with BEA captain Gordon Blackwood, who was one of the people killed in the explosion.
The retired police officer, 65, has been trying to find answers 57 years on from the incident.
“Being in the BEA family it was very close to home. It was something that stayed with me for many years,” he told Metro.
“It was something my parents never forgot. My father had kept a set of BEA pilot wings that came from Gordon’s uniform and I was able to give them back to his daughter.
“For people who lost family members, it’s like a wound. There was no information for decades so the families were never able to get any kind of closure and that’s significant.”
Simon said that the Met Police had carried out a review in 2021 which determined that officials did not follow all of the apparent leads.
Information regarding the case remains closed (Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
A Met Police spokesperson said as per Metro: “The bombing of CY284 in 1967 was an atrocity which claimed the lives of 66 people, including 21 UK nationals. No-one has been brought to justice, and there remains many unanswered questions.
“It is a mark of the courage and tenacity of the families of those who lost their lives on that fateful flight that they continue to campaign for justice.
“It was a complaint by a surviving relative in 2021 that prompted the Met to carry out a review of the enquiries made into this matter at the time it happened.
“We hope the findings of this review give those families further clarity and understanding about the circumstances of the attack, and what the Met and other partners did in the immediate aftermath.
“As with all reviews of past investigations, however long ago they occurred, we will reflect on what lessons we can learn and apply to the work we do today.
“We have remained focused on getting answers for the families and recently had the chance to attend a memorial for victims where we were able pay our respects with those families.”
LADbible Group has contacted Met Police for further comment.
