Sabotage in the Sky: Continental Airlines Flight 11 (1962)
On May 22, 1962, Continental Airlines Flight 11 took off from Chicago—only to get rudely interrupted by an unexpected explosion. But instead of just a late-night popcorn pop, this was a dynamite blast that sent a Boeing 707 plummeting to the ground, leaving a massive debris field across the Missouri countryside. Naturally, a mix of looky-loos and would-be investigators—some a little more serious than others—descended upon the wreckage like moths to a flaming wreck. Think of it as the worst roadside attraction you could imagine.
By the time investigators pieced things together, it was clear this was no storm-related mishap. No, this was straight-up sabotage. A bomb had gone off in the back lavatory, and the tail section was found a few hours later—complete with a suspicious smell of fireworks. The FAA wasn’t about to let that slide, so the FBI was roped in faster than you could say "explosives." Among the wreckage? Waxy paper that looked eerily like dynamite wrapping. It’s safe to say, this was no accident. Someone was trying to make a big bang.
The primary suspect? One Thomas G. Doty, a man who was down on his luck, had a shady past, and had taken out some very suspicious life insurance policies—one just days before the flight. A man with enough dynamite on his hands to blow up his life and a plane full of people in the process. Doty had also checked out a few books on explosives and might’ve been a little too familiar with them. His final grand gesture? Detonating dynamite in a bathroom, killing everyone on board, and making sure his wife was set for life (minus the whole "not getting the life insurance payout because, you know, murder" thing).
The investigation, led by an overwhelmed Sheriff and a ragtag bunch of high schoolers, continued as body parts were recovered and stories of the bizarre aftermath trickled out. The wreckage was put back together like some horrific jigsaw puzzle, with chicken wire holding the pieces together, until it became clear: the explosion came from the lavatory. Not the kind of explosion you want to have on a plane, no sir.
While the story of the crash became a grim and dark part of American history, the aftermath didn’t stop there. The wreckage continued to surface, with bits and pieces popping up here and there over the years. And then there was Boeing 707, the lone survivor: a German shepherd that was inexplicably given to a child and later stolen. Because, why not add a stolen dog to a catastrophic plane disaster? As one does.
Doty’s plan was a tragic failure, as he managed to blow up a plane, wreck lives, and still managed to be too stupid to ensure his wife got the life insurance payout. Meanwhile, the FBI, despite piecing together a compelling case, couldn’t pin down all the details, leaving the whole thing to linger as a grim mystery in the annals of airline disaster history.
Sources:
Books:
https://www.amazon.com/Disaster-39-000-Feet-Small-Town/dp/1956578536
Articles:
https://missourilife.com/injured-german-shepherd-apparently-survived-crash/
https://missourilife.com/the-crash-of-flight-11/
Blog:
https://continenalairlinesflight11.blogspot.com/
FBI Report:
https://vault.fbi.gov/continental-airlines-flight-11-registration-n70775
