Netflix airs 'outstanding' drama about Pan Am Flight 103 air disaster which left no survivors

Netflix have obtained the rights to a harrowing crime-drama about one of the most fatal aviation disasters in history.

Premiering on the BBC last year, The Bombing of Pan Am 103 is set to land on the streaming service tomorrow (30 Jul) following mass anticipation from viewers who caught it the first time around.

The six-part series hinges on the gut-wrenching Pan Am Flight 103 attack that unfolded in 1988, which also happens to UK's deadliest ever terrorist attack.

On 21 December that year, a regularly scheduled flight travelling from Frankfurt, Germany, to Detroit, Michigan - with stops in London and New York - exploded while flying over the Scottish town of Lockerbie.

A bomb had been planted on board by Libyan terrorists, which killed all 243 passengers, as well as 16 members of cabin crew.

Fatalities also unfolded on the ground, with 11 Lockerbie residents being killed by large segments of aircraft.

All 243 passengers were killed (Bryn Colton/Getty Images)

What is Netflix's drama about, and who stars in it?

The Bombing of Pam Am 103 serves to examine the lives of those affected by the catastrophe, as well as the lengthy investigation - the largest murder enquiry in Scottish policing - into the individuals behind it.

The series includes several fictionalised detectives, including CS Ed McCusker, played by Sex Education actor Connor Swindells, whose character was reportedly created by producers to represent the many Scottish police officers involved in the Lockerbie investigation.

Alongside the made-up personas, however, several real people are being played, like FBI Special Agent Dick Marquise, a real FBI investigator who led the American side of the criminal investigation and worked closely with Scottish police, and later wrote extensively about the case.

He's being played by Suits actor Patrick J. Adams, who famously played main character Mike Ross in the legal drama.

English actor Eddie is also played by Tom Thurman, a real FBI forensic explosives expert who examined the fragment of timer circuit board that became crucial evidence linking the bombing to Libya, whose work later became controversial after critics questioned his conclusions.

Scottish star Peter Mullan, meanwhile, takes on the role of real senior detective with the former Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary, DCS John Orr. Orr led much of the Scottish investigation in its early years.

In the trailer of the big-name production that landed last month, viewers hear, 'Twenty-one countries have lost citizens in this attack, so inevitably it will require an international effort.'

In many ways, the investigation into the attack - which killed a total of 270 people - became just as notorious as the incident itself, being that it took over a decade for a combination of the UK's smallest constabulary and the FBI to convict anyone.

Connor Swindells and Patrick J. Adams take on the lead roles (Netflix)

Why was the investigation so notorious?

Every piece of wreckage, which had been scattered across more than 800 square miles, had to be carefully recovered, catalogued, and examined, with investigators also reconstructing large sections of the aircraft to determine the cause of the explosion.

Forensic analysis eventually revealed that the disaster had been caused by an improvised explosive device hidden inside a radio cassette player packed in a suitcase in the cargo hold.

Further examination also traced fragments of clothing and electronic components found near the bomb, with a tiny fragment of a circuit board becoming a crucial piece of evidence, helping investigators link the device to Libyan intelligence operatives.

In 2001, two Libyan suspects were identified and charged before a special trial held in the Netherlands under Scottish law, after which Abdelbaset al-Megrahi was convicted in 2001, while the other accused walked free.

11 Lockerbie residents were killed (Bryn Colton/Getty Images)

What did viewers think when the series landed last year?

After initially airing on the BBC last May, viewers were immediately struck by the portrayals of those involved.

"It was a well-made series, very moving," one gushed at the time.

Another wrote: "'The Bombing of Pan Am 103' has been outstanding television."

"I thought the Bombing of Pan Am 103 was well done by the BBC," a third went on. "It's shameful that the investigation took longer than the only convicted terrorist spent in jail. It was disgraceful that Gordon Brown allowed him to be released due to cancer. He lived for 3 more years."

A fourth went on: "If you can access BBC, watch The Bombing of Pan AM 103...Great cast that delivered all the emotions perfectly."

"If you haven't been watching The Bombing of Pan Am 103, you have missed out," another wrote. "It's impeccably put together, well acted, and bloody emotional, especially Episode 6."

"Watching The Bombing of Pan Am 103. The best BBC drama for many years," one also added.