What happened
On the afternoon of the accident, an aircraft departed from Zurich-Kloten Airport runway 28, destined for Tel Aviv. The flight was carrying 38 passengers and nine crew members. Approximately seven minutes after takeoff, while climbing through 14,000 feet near a location 41 km south of the airport, the captain notified air traffic control of an emergency. The pilot reported a detonation within the cargo compartment accompanied by a loss of cabin pressure.
As the aircraft attempted to return to Zurich, the crew reported that smoke was infiltrating both the cockpit and the passenger cabin. The captain further noted that various instruments had become unserviceable and that the electrical system had failed, requesting radar assistance for the return. During the descent, the pilot communicated a loss of control before the aircraft entered a steep dive. The plane performed a 180-degree turn, pitched downward, and struck a wooded area near Würenlingen, roughly 22 km northwest of runway 14. At the moment of impact, the aircraft was traveling at 422 knots in a 12° nose-down attitude. The collision resulted in a massive explosion and the total disintegration of the aircraft type (not specified in source, but implies a large passenger jet). There were 47 fatalities among all occupants.
Findings
Investigations concluded that the primary cause of the disaster was the detonation of an explosive device placed within the cargo hold. The bomb was connected to an altimeter and triggered once the plane reached 14,000 feet. This blast caused significant damage to the fuselage and flight control systems while introducing smoke into the cabin. Subsequent fires damaged the aircraft's generators, leading to electrical short circuits that rendered the plane unflyable. The incident was later identified as an act of sabotage.