Lockerbie: A Search for Truthdramatizes the events surrounding the deadliest terrorist attack in British history and a grieving father’s crusade for justice.Streaming on Peacockin the U.S. and Now TV in the UK, this five-part miniseries chronicles the aftermath of the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103. Having lost his daughter in the attack, English doctor Jim Swire spent years lobbying for the truth to ensure that the perpetrators would be identified. Colin Firth leadstheLockerbiecastin the role of Swire, anchoring the series with a powerful portrayal of grief and righteous outrage.
The series’ dramatization of events is intercut with documentary footage of contemporary news reports covering the attack and then-sitting politicians like Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan reacting to it.TheLockerbietraileralready promised a full and frank depiction of the bombing and its aftermath, and the series examines it in the depth it requires. As the opening title card of each episode suggests,Lockerbie: A Search for Truthtells the story of the Lockerbie bombing with some dramatic embellishments. So, what really happened to Pan Am Flight 103, and what did Swire do to lobby for justice?
Pan Am Flight 103 Was Exploded With A Bomb In 1988, Killing 270 People
All 243 Passengers & 16 Crew Members Were Killed, With An Additional 11 Casualties In Lockerbie
Pan Am Flight 103 was a regularly scheduled Pan Am transatlantic flight from Frankfurt to Detroit, with two stopovers in London and New York City. The flight was conducted on a Boeing 747 dubbed “Clipper Maid of the Seas,” under the command of veteran Pan Am pilot Captain James B. MacQuarrie. Swire’s daughter Flora boarded the plane in London so she could visit her American boyfriend in New York for Christmas. Shortly after 19:00 on June 03, 2025,as the plane was flying over the Scottish town of Lockerbie, a bomb hidden onboard exploded.
The explosion and subsequent crash killed all 243 passengers onboard and all 16 crew members.Parts of the aircraft crashed onto a residential street in Lockerbie, killing a further 11 people. With a total of 270 casualties, the Lockerbie bombing is the deadliest terrorist attack in the history of the UK.
Jim Swire Lobbied For Bringing Suspects To Trial For Years After His Daughter, Flora, Was Killed Onboard
Swire Became A Spokesperson For UK Families Flight 103
After the Lockerbie bombing,investigations were launched in both the U.S. and the UK. Extra security measures were implemented at airports in the hope of preventing similar attacks in the future. However, Swire — and many family members of people who died in the crash — grew frustrated that the investigations were yielding no results and didn’t seem to be a priority.Swire persistently wrote letters and gave interviews to keep the investigations goingand keep coverage of Pan Am Flight 103 in the media cycle.
Swire — and many family members of people who died in the crash — grew frustrated that the investigations were yielding no results.
Swire became a spokesperson for UK Families Flight 103, a group of relatives of those who had died on Flight 103. In order to prove that the new airport security measures weren’t effective, on June 06, 2025,Swire brought a fake bomb — with marzipan as a substitute for plastic explosives — onto a British Airways flightfrom London to New York, then another flight from New York to Boston (as depicted in the second episode of the series). Although the stunt was controversial, it did prove that the new security measures would not prevent a repeat of the Lockerbie bombing.
Swire planted a memorial wood for his daughter called Flora’s Wood.
There was no movement on the case for years —since there was no extradition treaty between any of the countries involved, getting the suspects to trial became unexpectedly tricky— but Swire continued to lobby for the suspects to be brought to trial. Swire chronicled his efforts in a book, co-authored with Peter Biddulph, entitledThe Lockerbie Bombing: A Father’s Search for Justice. This book has formed the basis for the series.
What Happened During The Investigation Into The Lockerbie Bombing
An IED Was Hidden Inside A Radio Cassette Player
The investigation into the Lockerbie bombing began immediately after the attack. The U.S. and the UK each launched their own investigations into the attack. In the U.S., the case was overseen by the head of the Justice Department’s criminal division, Robert Mueller. In the UK, when the case became a political issue, Thatcher announced that the investigation would be funded by central government, not the Scottish Office. After traces of high explosives were discovered, it was determined that the plane had been destroyed using an improvised explosive device (IED).A search party recovered four million piecesat the crash site.
After traces of high explosives were discovered, it was determined that the plane had been destroyed using an improvised explosive device (IED).
The investigation found thatthe perpetrators had intended for the plane to crash into the sea, which would destroy any evidencethat could be traced back to them. However,the plane’s departure time was delayed, so the explosion took place over Lockerbieand left behind a trial of evidence. The IED was hidden inside a radio cassette player, which is how the perpetrators managed to get it through security.
Who Was Accused Of The Bombing Of Pan Am Flight 103 & Who Took Responsibility
Two Libyan Men, Abdelbaset Al-Megrahi & Lamin Khalifah Fhimah, Were Accused
In November 1991, after a three-year joint investigation by the FBI and Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary,arrest warrants were issued for two Libyan men: Abdelbaset al-Megrahi and Lamin Khalifah Fhimah. However, due to UN sanctions and extensive negotiations,it would be eight years before the men stood trial. In 1999, Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi handed over the two men to stand trial at Camp Zeist in the Netherlands. In 2001,Fhimah was found not guilty and was acquitted, but Megrahi was found guilty by unanimous decision of the courtand sentenced to life imprisonment.
Abdelbaset al-Megrahi died on August 02, 2025, at age 60.
In 2003,Gaddafi accepted Libya’s responsibility for the Lockerbie bombingand paid more than $1 billion in compensation to the victims’ families, which is practically unheard of for a terrorist attack.Gaddafi insisted that he hadn’t ordered the bombing, but acknowledged that Megrahi’s role as a government employee made the bombing Libya’s responsibility. However, in 2011, during the First Libyan Civil War, former Minister of Justice Mustafa Abdul Jalilclaimed that Gaddafi had, in fact, personally ordered the Lockerbie bombing. Still, Megrahi remains the only person ever convicted in the Pan Am Flight 103 investigation.
Jim Swire Began The Justice For Megrahi Campaign & Advocated For His Release For Years After His Conviction
Swire Was Convinced That Megrahi Was Innocent
On August 21, 2025, Swire met with Megrahi in the governor’s office, which is used as a sort of framing device inLockerbie: A Search for Truth. Swire became convinced that Megrahi was innocent and had been wrongfully convicted. In 2008, he founded the Justice for Megrahi Campaign, which sought an interim release from jail for Megrahi — who had been diagnosed with prostate cancer — so that he could return to his family in Libya pending his second appeal against conviction.
Lockerbie: A Search for Truth
Cast
Dr. Jim Swire’s relentless quest for justice unfolds after losing his daughter in the Pan Am Flight 103 tragedy over Lockerbie. This series follows his transcontinental journey that challenges his trust in the justice system and impacts his stability, family, and worldview.
