killed. The only survivors were two stewardesses seated in the rear of the plane. The charter flight was carrying home Atlanta's civic and cultural leaders of the day. At the time, this was the highest recorded death toll for an incident involving a single aircraft. On 11 July 1973, Varig Flight 820, a Boeing 707, made a forced landing due to fire in a rear lavatory, incoming from Rio de Janeiro–Galeão. The aircraft landed 5 kilometers short of the runway, in a full-flap and gear down configuration. Due mainly to smoke inhalation, there were 123 deaths whilst 11 people survived (10 crew, one passenger). On 3 March 1974, Turkish Airlines Flight 981, in an event known as the "Ermenonville air disaster", crashed in Ermenonville forest after take-off from Orly on a flight to London's Heathrow Airport when an improperly closed cargo door burst open. The explosive decompression that resulted brought down the McDonnell Douglas DC-10. All 346 people on board were killed, making the accident one of the deadliest in aviation history. Non-aircraft related On 13 and 19 January 1975, a series of RPG attacks by Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine caused collateral damage and injured 23. On 20 May 1978, three terrorists armed with submachine guns opened fire at the El Al boarding gate, killing 5 and injuring 5. On 15 July 1983, a bombing of a Turkish Airlines check-in counter by ASALA killed 8 people and injured 55. On 18 March 2017, a man attempted to grab the gun of a soldier who was patrolling the airport as part of Opération Sentinelle. The attacker was shot and killed. See also Groupe ADP Paris Aéroport United States Air Force in France List of the busiest airports in France References Sources McAuliffe, Jerome J.: U.S. Air Force in France 1950–1967 (2005), Chapter 14, "Paris-USAF Operations". External links Orly Airport aviation weather 1909 establishments in France Airports established in 1909 Orly Airport Orly Buildings and structures in Val-de-Marne