Marina and her sister
A fatal accident inquiry has limited powers. It is not a criminal trial. It is there to establish the facts of death. In the light of all that has happened this week, it is worth remembering these essential facts.
When the cockpit blew off, a wind of tornado force tore through the fuselage, ripping clothes off passengers and turning insecurely-fixed items such as food and drink trolleys into lethal objects. The abrupt change in air pressure meant that the gases inside the victims’ bodies expanded to four times their normal volume, causing the lungs to swell and collapse. For many passengers and crew, it took only two minutes to fall 31,000 feet; for others, who remained attached to their seat belts, the fall would have been of slightly longer duration. The lack of oxygen had led to a general loss of consciousness on board the aircraft, but forensic specialists believe that some regained consciousness as they fell towards lower altitudes. Almost certainly, then, some of those on flight 103 were still alive when they hit the ground.
When I listen now, 21 years later, to the American relatives, some of whom were present in Dumfries to hear such overwhelming testimony, they seem impervious to reason – the reason which tells us that the man convicted of the Lockerbie bombing may be innocent. But then I think of the unbearable facts, established at that long-forgotten inquiry, and wonder why the relatives have not quite lost their minds. They must live with these facts for the rest of their lives. Sadly, deplorably, they are the only reliable facts about Lockerbie we are ever likely to know. The vital witnesses are still missing; the empty seats are still empty.
21 August
31.08.09
Issue no 133
THE BBC AND
KENNY MacASKILL
Kenneth Roy
Can the public service
broadcaster be trusted?
[click here]
THE LOCKERBIE FILE
Recently in SR
In the interests of justice
28 August
[click here]
Die or else
27 August
[click here]
The changing mood
26 August
[click here]
Speed reacting
25 August
[click here]
The weekend of unreason
24 August
[click here]
Marina and her sister
21 August
[click here]
Why Megrahi will be missed
20 August
[click here]
Obstruction of justice?
13 August
[click here]
GALLERY
Contemporary Scottish art
Michael Murray:
The Hidden Lane
[click here]
In view of the continuing political crisis in Scotland, SR continues to publish daily for the time being