Nearly four decades after the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103, which claimed the lives of 270 people, including 190 Americans, a survivor's story of a near-miss continues to resonate. Jaswant Basuta was scheduled to be on the flight from London Heathrow to New York JFK on December 21, 1988, but missed it after stopping for drinks with his brother-in-law at the airport. His suitcase was on board, and his wife, Surinder, initially received news that he had died before learning he was alive.
A Missed Flight and Lingering Guilt
Basuta, then 47, had been attending a family wedding in Belfast and was flying back to New York where his wife had started a new job. After checking in, he decided to have a few beers with his brother-in-law, Surjit, and overconsumed four strong beers, causing him to miss the flight. "I ran through the airport," he recalled. "When I got there, the door was closed. I could see the plane standing there. I cursed myself. I said: 'What the hell have I done?'"
Thirty-eight minutes after departure, a bomb planted by Libyan terrorists detonated aboard the Boeing 747, killing all passengers and crew, as well as 11 residents of Lockerbie, Scotland. The incident became the deadliest terrorist attack on British soil at the time and the largest loss of American life to terrorism until September 11, 2001.
Basuta, now 84 and retired, lives in upstate New York and remains haunted by the event. He carries a sense of guilt and connection to the victims, stating, "Even today, I still remember every passenger, the 270 people who died. We were supposed to die together. We were like a family." He expressed conflicted feelings, questioning why he was spared while others perished.
His Sikh faith emphasizes predestination, with his family and fellow worshippers believing God intervened to save him. However, Basuta also recalls a specific memory of offering to buy chocolate for two young girls he saw in the check-in line, a promise he could not fulfill as they were among the victims.
Legal Pursuits and Personal Reflections
Following the bombing, Basuta was a suspect due to his suitcase being on board and was detained and questioned by Heathrow airport police for six hours. He was cleared after contacting the U.S. consulate. Despite the ordeal, he did not fear flying and even returned to New York on a Pan Am flight shortly after the disaster.
In 1991, two Libyans, Abdel Basset al-Megrahi and Lamin Khalifa Fhimah, were charged with murder. Fhimah was acquitted, but al-Megrahi was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. He was released on compassionate grounds in 2009 and died in 2012.
More than three decades later, legal proceedings continue. Abu Agela Mas'ud Kheir Al-Marimi, accused of being a bomb maker for Libyan intelligence services, was extradited to the U.S. in 2022 and is scheduled to face trial in federal court in Washington, D.C. on August 24. He reportedly confessed to involvement in the bombing after Colonel Gaddafi's fall in 2011, though he now claims the confession was made under duress.
Basuta stated that al-Megrahi should not have been released, given the lack of compassion shown to the victims. He expressed a desire for severe punishment for anyone responsible for the attack who has yet to face justice.
Basuta was not consulted for the new Netflix drama, "The Bombing of Pan Am 103," and has not seen it. He also admitted to only loosely following the current legal developments, despite his personal connection to the tragedy. Annually, he visits his temple to pray for the victims.