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Which Constellation was destroyed by a bomb in mid-flight in 1955 off the Natuna Islands?

Short answer

The Kashmir Princess, Air India Flight 300: a chartered L-749A that suffered a bomb explosion on April 11, 1955, and crashed into the South China Sea off the Natuna Islands. Of its 19 occupants, three survived. The attack aimed to kill Chinese premier Zhou Enlai, who was not on board.

Which Constellation was destroyed by a bomb in mid-flight in 1955 off the Natuna Islands?
Lockheed Constellation Santa CruzMateo fzo (CC BY SA), vía commons

A Flight to Bandung

The Kashmir Princess was an Air India Lockheed L-749A Constellation, registered VT-DEP, which on April 11, 1955, was operating a chartered flight from Bombay to Jakarta with a stopover in Hong Kong. It took off from Hong Kong at 04:25 GMT carrying Chinese and Eastern European delegates, mostly journalists, heading to the Asian-African Conference in Bandung.

The Explosion

About five hours after takeoff, the crew heard an explosion and smoke quickly filled the cabin from a fire in the right wing, just behind engine number 3. When the baggage compartment fire warning lit up, the captain shut down that engine and feathered its propeller. The crew sent three distress calls giving their position over the Natuna Islands before the radio went silent. The captain attempted to ditch, but the aircraft went down in the South China Sea. Of the nineteen occupants, only three survived.

The Target Was Zhou Enlai

The bomb was an assassination attempt against Chinese premier Zhou Enlai, who did not take the flight, either due to a medical emergency or, according to one historian's conclusion, because he knew in advance what was being planned. The Chinese government demanded that Hong Kong authorities investigate the case, and they concluded that the Kuomintang was responsible for the attack. The Kashmir Princess is one of the few Constellations lost to deliberate in-flight sabotage, and its case mixed commercial aviation with the political tensions of Asia in the mid-1950s.

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