United Air Lines Flight 629
A United DC-6B similar to the aircraft involved | |
| Bombing | |
|---|---|
| Date | November 1, 1955 |
| Summary | Bombing |
| Site | 8 miles east of Longmont, Colorado, U.S. 40°12′0.51″N 104°57′21.96″W / 40.2001417°N 104.9561000°W |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Douglas DC-6B |
| Aircraft name | Mainliner Denver |
| Operator | United Airlines |
| Call sign | UNITED 629 |
| Registration | N37559 |
| Flight origin | LaGuardia Airport, New York City, New York |
| 1st stopover | Chicago Midway International Airport, Chicago, Illinois |
| 2nd stopover | Stapleton International Airport, Denver, Colorado |
| Last stopover | Portland International Airport, Portland, Oregon |
| Destination | Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Seattle, Washington |
| Occupants | 44 |
| Passengers | 39 |
| Crew | 5 |
| Fatalities | 44 |
| Survivors | 0 |
United Air Lines Flight 629, registration N37559 and dubbed Mainliner Denver, was a Douglas DC-6B aircraft that was blown up on November 1, 1955, by a dynamite bomb placed in the checked luggage. The explosion occurred over Weld County, Colorado, 8 miles east of Longmont, Colorado, United States, at 7:03 p.m. local time, while the airplane was en route from Denver to Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, Washington. All 39 passengers and 5 crew members on board were killed in the explosion and crash.
Investigators determined that John Gilbert Graham was responsible for bombing the airplane in a bid to kill his mother as revenge for his childhood and to obtain a large life insurance payout. Within fifteen months of the explosion, Graham—who already had an extensive criminal record—was tried, convicted, and executed for the crime.