Cathay Pacific Flight 700Z bombing

Cathay Pacific Flight 700Z

A similar aircraft registered VR-HGG
Bombing summary
Date	15 June 1972
Summary	Aviation bombing
Site	Over Pleiku, South Vietnam
Passengers	71
Crew	10
Fatalities	81 (all)
Survivors	0
Aircraft type	Convair CV-880-22M-21
Operator	Cathay Pacific
Registration	VR-HFZ
Flight origin	Singapore International Airport Singapore
Stopover	Don Mueang International Airport, Bangkok Thailand
Destination	Kai Tak Airport Hong Kong

Cathay Pacific Flight 700Z was a flight flown and operated by Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific that crashed on 15 June 1972.

Flight 700Z originated from Singapore International Airport (Now Paya Lebar Air Base) and had a stopover at Bangkok's Don Mueang International Airport, with the final destination being Hong Kong's Kai Tak Airport.

While flying at 29000 ft (8,839 m) (FL290) over Pleiku, South Vietnam, a bomb placed inside a cosmetics case placed under a seat exploded, resulting in the aircraft's disintegration. All 71 passengers and 10 crew on the flight were killed.

Following a British Civil Aviation Department and Hong Kong police investigation, as well as 6 years of reporting by a Bangkok Post journalist, "a police officer whose fiancée and daughter were aboard was charged with the crime". Somchai Chaiyasut, who had taken out three travel insurance policies on his fiancee and daughter, was declared not guilty due to lack of evidence. He sued the insurance companies and received ฿5.5 million but died of cancer in 1985 after "airline staff and relatives [had considered] hiring a hitman to kill him".