Back to Search ResultsIncident Summary:
05/22/1978: A six-inch long pipe bomb, wrapped in yellow and red paper, exploded on a shelf at a tobacco shop on the second floor of the Eastern Airlines building at John F. Kennedy Airport in Queens, New York in the United States. The explosion caused broken glass and minor damage to the shelf, and there were no casualities from the incident. The blast was claimed by members of the Armed Forces for National Liberation (FALN) by way of a telephone call to the United Press International. This incident is linked to three other bombings on this day, one at La Guardia airport in Queens, New York, one at Newark airport in New Jersey, and one outside of the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. (197805220005, 197805220006,197805220007), all of which were also claimed by FALN members in the phone call.Overview
GTD ID:
197805220004
When:
1978-05-22
Country:
United States
Region:
North America
Province/administrative
region/u.s. state:
New York
City:
New York City
Location Details:
Queens; 1 at John F. Kennedy airport; device was placed on a shelf at a tobacco shop on the second floor of the Eastern Airlines building
What
| Target Type: Airports and Aircraft | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Name of Entity | U.S. Airports & Airlines | ||
| Specific Description | John F. Kennedy airport | ||
| Nationality of Target | United States | ||
| Hostages | No |
| Ransom | No |
| Property Damage | Yes |
| Extent of Property Damage | Minor (likely < $1 million) |
| Value of Property Damage | Unknown |
How
| Type | Sub-type |
|---|---|
| Explosives | Pipe Bomb |
| Weapon Details | |
| six-inch long pipe bomb wrapped in yellow and red paper | |
| Suicide Attack? | No |
| Part of Multiple Incident? | Yes |
| Criterion 1 (more) | Yes |
| Criterion 2 (more) | Yes |
| Criterion 3 (more) | Yes |
| Additional Information | This incident is linked to three other bombings on this day, one at La Guardia airport in Queens, New York, one at Newark airport in New Jersey, and one outside of the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. (197805220005, 197805220006, and 197805220007), all of which were also claimed by FALN members in the phone call. In their phone call the to the United Press International, FALN members also stated that a bomb was placed at the O'Hare Hilton Hotel near O'Hare International airport in Chicago, Illinois, but there was no explosion and no bomb was found at the hotel. Employees at the O'Hare Hilton Hotel also received bomb warnings by phone, but the caller never mentioned the other attacks that day. Additionally, the caller stated that a communiqué would be left in "a Park in front of City Hall," claiming responsibility, but no notes were ever found. |
Who
| Group Name | Claimed Responsibility |
|---|---|
| Fuerzas Armadas de Liberacion Nacional (FALN) | Yes (Confirmed: Unknown; Mode: Call (post-incident)) |
| Number of Perpetrators | Unknown |
| Number of Captured Perpetrators | Unknown |
| Total Number of Casualties | 0 Fatalities / 0 Injured |
| Total Number of Fatalities | 0 |
| Number of U.S. Fatalities | 0 |
| Number of Perpetrator Fatalities | 0 |
| Total Number of Injured | 0 |
| Number of U.S. Injured | 0 |
| Number of Perpetrators Injured | 0 |
Sources
| Stephen J. Lynton and Alfred E. Lewis, "Bomb Here Is Tied to 3 In N.Y. Area," The Washington Post, May 23, 1978. |
| Patrick Breslin, The Associated Press, May 22, 1978. |
| "3 Blasts claimed," The Baltimore Sun, May 23, 1978. |
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