The Lockerbie disaster was one of the most shocking acts of terrorism on an aircraft of all time, and no one can forget the devastation and aftermath. Who were the cabin crew of Pan Am Flight 103? On December 21st, 1988, they put on their uniforms and went to work, just like any other trip. Unfortunately, this time, they didn’t come back.
The flight
Pan American World Airways Flight 103, utilizing a Boeing 747-121, left London Heathrow Airport at 18:25, bound for New York and then Detroit. There were 243 passengers onboard and a total of 16 crew on the ‘Clipper Maid of the Seas.’
The captain was named James B. MacQuarrie, the first officer was Raymond R. Wagner, and the flight engineer was Jerry D. Avritt. They were all based in New York.
The cabin crew
The cabin crew were a mix of nationalities, although many were naturalized US citizens. They had a wide range of experience, from just nine months to over 28 years. They were based out of London Heathrow and lived either locally or commuted from Europe. Some were returning home to spend time with their families at Christmas, while other crew were planning some last-minute shopping in New York. The cabin crew were:
Mary Geraldine Murphy, Senior Purser.
Mary was 51 and had been flying for over 25 years. She was known as ‘Gerry’ to her friends and was from Twickenham in the UK. She first joined Pan Am in 1963 and flew out of New York, San Francisco, and Washington. Mary helped set up the Pan Am Heathrow base in 1972 and was considered an invaluable asset to the company. She had been engaged to an American who was unfortunately killed. She took an honors degree in grief counseling and had recently graduated with a degree in social psychology.
Mary was warm with a generous spirit; she loved art, music, dancing, and skiing. She was caring and helpful and took the new hires under her wing. Mary had recently applied to work in the training and recruitment section at Pan Am. Mary had expected to be working over Christmas but had managed to get on this earlier flight so that she could be home for the festivities. She had left for her trip happy and excited.
Milutin Velimirovitch, Junior Purser.
Milutin was 35 years old. He was Czech but moved to the US when he was 11 and became a US citizen. He joined Pan Am in 1978, flying out of New York and joined the London base in 1978. He had a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations and European History, having studied in Vienna.
Milutin loved flying and hoped to become a pilot in the following year. He was known to be cheerful, enthusiastic, and popular with the passengers and the crew. He loved playing tennis. He was engaged to another Pan Am flight attendant. Milutin was not originally scheduled to work the flight but rearranged his schedule to help a friend.
Siv Ulla Engstrom
Siv was 51 and from Sweden. She did much charitable work, especially for the Save the Children Fund. Interestingly, she was fluent in five languages. Siv joined Pan Am in 1960 and flew out of New York before joining the London base in 1972. She was known to be kind, spiritual, and talented. Siv was also a student of Chinese philosophy. She loved classical music and theatre and acted as a ‘mother hen’ to countless cabin crew.
Elisabeth Nichole Avoyne-Clemens
Elisabeth was 44 and from France was known for her flair and sincerity. She was known as Babette to her friends. She was the effortlessly chic French woman. She joined Pan Am in 1968 and flew out of Miami, Seattle, and Washington, joining the London base in 1972. Elisabeth loved to travel and enjoyed entertaining at her home. She was married and had a 5-year-old daughter and a stepson and stepdaughter.
Noelle Berti-Campbell
Noelle was 40 and was born in Paris but became a US citizen. She was a former ‘Miss France’ and previously worked as a model and sales assistant at Van Cleef and Arpels. Noelle joined Pan Am in 1970, flying out of New York and Chicago before joining the London base in 1975. Noelle was beautiful, quiet, and unique and was respected by everyone who knew her. She loved traveling and often did so with her mother.
Elke Etha Kuehne
Elke was 43 and from Germany. She was known to be stylish and elegant. She had been with Pan Am for 18 years, flying out of Miami, Washington, and New York before joining the London base in 1976.
Elke studied languages in London before working as a foreign correspondent in Paris. Elke was professional, and people had respect for her. She inspired trust and won it; she was known for her quick wit and smoked from a long cigarette holder.
Maria Larracoechea
Maria was 39 and from Spain. Her friends knew her as ‘Nieves’. She joined Pan Am in 1971, flying out of New York before joining the London base in 1978. She won the Pan Am flight attendant recognition award four times and was popular with passengers and crew alike. She loved to travel and commuted to Heathrow from Madrid. She was known to be vivacious and very kind and was married.
Irja Syhnove Skabo
Irja was 38 and from Norway but became a US citizen. She mostly worked in first class. She was a former international cross-country skier and had become a ski instructor for disabled children in her spare time. She joined Pan Am in 1972 and worked out of Miami, New York, and San Francisco before joining the London base in 1987. Irja was glamorous but down to earth and planned to buy Christmas presents on the trip to New York. She was also planning to leave to spend more time with her husband and 7-year-old son. She was dynamic, hard-working, and took her responsibilities seriously.
Paul Isaac Garrett
Paul was 41 and joined Pan Am in 1973, flying from London. He transferred to San Francisco in 1978 before returning to London in February 1988. He loved to cook, paint, and sculpt in his spare time. Paul was known to be professional and calm. Earlier in the year, he had moved to Paris to open a boutique with his wife and commuted to Heathrow. They planned to open a second boutique in Paris selling shoes. This was going to be his last flight.
Lilabeth Macalolooy
Lilabeth, or ‘Lili’ as she was known, was 27 and from the Philippines. She moved to California as a child. She was a former make-up consultant and aerobics teacher before joining Pan Am New York base in 1985.
She moved to London a year later. Lili was well-liked, warm-hearted, and fun to fly with. She was seen as cute and innocent. She lived with her fiance and was commuting from Frankfurt to Heathrow.
Jocelyn Reina
Jocelyn was 26 and pretty much the perfect Pan Am flight attendant. She was born in Los Angeles and was a budding actress with two commercials behind her. Acting was tough, so she retrained as a backstage hair and make-up artist. She’d wanted to be a flight attendant from a young age. She originally joined the New York base in January of that year but transferred to London a few months later. Her brother said that “she died doing the job she loved.” She was single and had a zest for life.
Myra Josephine Royal
Myra was 30 and joined Pan Am the same year. She was from the Dominican Republic but was raised in Texas. She previously was a member of the US Air Force Reserve. Myra was enthusiastic about her work and had a sense of humor. She was a good listener and had genuine concern for her passengers. She was due to transfer to the New York base.
Stacie Denise Franklin
Stacie was the youngest crew member at age 20. She’d joined Pan Am in April. She had previously worked for America West Airlines in reservations and lived in San Diego. She was known for her big smile, grace, warmth, and energy for life. She was excited to travel the world and meet new friends.
Tragedy on Pan Am Flight 103
The aftermath
At 19:02, less than an hour into the flight over the England-Scotland border, there was an explosion in the forward cargo area. A planted bomb in an unaccompanied suitcase caused a 13 x 23-inch hole in the aircraft, causing a massive decompression. The Boeing 747 broke apart and plummeted to the town of Lockerbie. There was a huge crater where the aircraft had impacted the ground and destroyed three houses – there were no survivors. Eleven people in the vicinity were also killed and ignited jet fuel destroyed several homes.
Sources: Clipper Crew, Pan Am Flight 103 Lockerbie Air Disaster Archives, Pan Am 103 Lockerbie Legacy Foundation, official report AAIB, FBI