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Last Updated August 15, 2024.
Cold War Shootdowns
This is an unofficial list, based on Internet sources, of aircraft that were shot down while participating in the Cold War, or other significant related air incidents. Beginning in 1945, the United States flew recon flights over Soviet territory and thousands of flights near its borders, and there was an active aerial reconnaissance program of the Soviet Union until 1960. According to official sources, at least 22 U.S. military aircraft were shot down during these missions and some 50 airmen are still unaccounted for. In all, I have been able to identify at least 87 Cold War-related incidents involving aircraft, both military and civilian, of over a dozen countries. Most involved American, Soviet, or Chinese aircraft, although allied countries of both sides were often also involved. Most shootdowns occurred around the periphery of the USSR, Warsaw Pact countries, China, North Korea, or Cuba. The May 1960 shootdown over Sverdlovsk of a U-2 flown by Francis Gary Powers is one, but not the only, exception to this rule.
It should also be noted that in Congressional testimony on June 13, 1992, Dmitriy Volkogonov, the senior Russian emissary who read Yeltsin’s letter to the Senate Select Committee on POW-MIA Affairs, testified that "The largest group of Americans imprisoned in the Soviet Union included more than 730 pilots and other airmen who either made “forced landings on Soviet territory” [~716 during WWII] or were shot down on Cold War spy flights [~12 during the 1950s]. Volkogonov was not specific as to their fates but spoke generally about prisoners being interned in labor camps, with some being executed and others forced to eventually renounce their American citizenship." Here is a more complete Washington Post article on Volkogonov's testimony.
Some shootdowns occurring after the Cold War are also included. However, aircraft shootdowns that were
cases of mistaken identity, such as the July 1988 shootdown of Iran Air 665 by
the USS Vincennes, or accidental, such as the October 2001 shootdown of a
Siberian Airlines TU-154 by a Ukrainian anti-aircraft battery, are not
included. Also not included are aircraft
shootdowns that occurred in a combat zone, such as over Ukraine, Vietnam or North Korea, as well as shootdowns of Soviet aircraft that approached US ships too closely
The chronology does not include aircraft lost over the Soviet Union during bombing missions against Nazi Germany and Japan. For example, Bomber 31, a PV-1 that was part of a bombing mission against Japan, was lost after taking off from the Aleutian Islands on March 25, 1944. It was only found in 1999, and the remains were recovered by a U.S. team headed by Gen. Roland LaJoie.
"The 27-year-old Antheil, the younger brother of the acclaimed composer and pianist George Antheil, was on a rushed government mission evacuating sensitive diplomatic pouches from U.S. missions in Tallinn and Riga, Latvia, as it had become clear that Moscow was preparing to swallow the small Baltic nations."
19 August 1946
A USAAF C-47 transport was shot down by a Yugoslav Yak-3 over Slovenia. The crew of Harold Schreiber, Glen Freestone, Richard Claeys, Matthew Comko and Chester L. Lower were all killed.
22 January 1949
A USAF AT-6 was shot down over Greece by Communist guerrillas. The pilot, Seldon Edner was killed.
8 April 1950
A US PB4Y-2 Privateer of VP-26 was shot down by La-11s over the Baltic Sea near Liepaya, Latvia. The Privateer was on a patrol mission launched from Wiesbaden, West Germany. The Soviets claimed the aircraft was intercepted over Latvia and that it fired on the Soviet fighters when it was intercepted (actually, the US aircraft was unarmed). The Privateer crashed into the sea 5-10 kilometers off the coast. Wreckage was recovered, but the crew of John H. Fette, Howard W. Seeschaf, Robert D. Reynolds, Tommy L. Burgess, Frank L. Beckman, Joe H. Danens, Jack W. Thomas, Joseph Jay Bourassa, Edward J. Purcell and Joseph Norris Rinnier Jr. were presumed killed.
6 November 1951
While conducting a reconnaissance mission under United Nations command, a USN P2V-3W Neptune of VP-6 was shot down over the Sea of Japan, near Vladivostok, by Soviet La-11s. The Soviet fighters intercepted the aircraft in the area of Cape Ostrovnoy approximately 7-8 miles from shore. After they fired on the aircraft, it fell, burning, into the water and exploded 18 miles from shore. The crew of Judd C. Hodgson, Sam Rosenfeld, Donald E. Smith, Reuben S. Baggett, Paul R. Foster, Erwin D. Raglin, Paul G. Juric, William S. Meyer, Ralph A. Wigert Jr. and Jack Lively were reported as missing and presumed dead.
18 November 1951
A USAF C-47 transport with a crew of four, flying from Munich to Belgrade, was shot down by either Hungarian or Romanian antiaircraft fire near the Yugoslav frontier. One crewmember, John J. Swift survived and was released shortly thereafter by the Romanians.
29 April 1952
A DC-4 of Air France was attacked by two MiG-15s when approaching Berlin. The aircraft was damaged and three passengers wounded.
13 June 1952
On the unlucky day of Friday the 13th, a USAF RB-29 of the 91st SRS was shot down by Soviet fighters off the coast of Primorye. Soviet MiG-15s intercepted the aircraft in the area of Valentin Bay, nine miles off Vladivostok. According to accounts provided later by the Soviets, they exchanged fire with the US plane, which burst into flames and crashed into the water. Empty life rafts were spotted by search aircraft the next day.
Throughout the years there have been many rumors about the crew of this particular RB 29. Roland Robitaille, a B-29 Tailgunner, in a plane sent out to search for the RB-29 wreckage, reported years later that he had seen the RB-29 in the water after what appeared to be a "perfect ditching," and expressed the belief that some crewmembers must have survived. However, no one else aboard the search plane saw the plane or was able to corroborate his story. In the spring of 1953, a Japanese prisoner repatriated from a labor camp in Khabarovsk spoke of 12 or 13 U.S, airmen who were held with him. There were also rumors of an officer from a B-29 being seen in a Soviet hospital in Magadan. Members of a flight crew that were shot down in July of 1952 over Korea were interrogated by the Chinese about Major Busch, indicating that he may still have been alive. On the basis of these and other reports, the USG pursued an official inquiry with the Soviet Union in 1956. However, the Soviets denied that any of the crew had been taken prisoner.
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| Maj. Samuel Busch |
 |
| A Typical B-29 of the Period |
However, the basic assertion that the Soviet Union may have held on to
American Cold War prisoners and cruelly executed some after
interrogation, has never been refuted.
In fact, eight years later, Pentagon investigators obtained the memoir
of a Russian émigré who, according to an AP story of the time, claimed "to
have learned while in internal exile in the former Soviet Union that dozens of
American servicemen from World War II and the Korean War were detained in
Siberian labor camps. The Russian émigré said that in the 1980s he was told by
an associate with extensive experience in the far eastern reaches of Siberia
that he had learned the names of two of the captured B-29 fliers: "Bush
and Moore." The B-29's commander
was Maj. Samuel Busch. A crewmember
was Master Sgt. David L. Moore. The memoir indicates that Busch and Moore
were killed ---- possibly beaten to death ---- in the Siberian city of
Khabarovsk, apparently a short time after their capture. Eight surviving crew
members were put in solitary confinement in a prison in Svobodnyi, a city
northwest of Khabarovsk near the Chinese border, it said." ("MEMOIR
OF RUSSIAN EMIGRE REPORTS U.S. GI'S IN SOVIET GULAG IN 1950S," by Robert
Burns, Associated Press, May 12, 2000).
13 June 1952
A Swedish ELINT DC-3 was shot down over the Baltic by a Soviet Mig-15 near Ventspils, Latvia. The only wreckage found was a life raft.
16 June 1952
A Swedish 52PBY-5A Catalina looking for the DC-3 lost on June 5 was also shot down. The crew of the Catalina was rescued by a German merchant ship.
31 July 1952
While conducting a patrol mission off Taiwan, a US Navy PBM-5S2, of VP-731, based from Iwakuni Japan, was attacked by two Chinese MiG-15s over the Yellow Sea. Two crewmembers were killed and two were seriously wounded. The PBM suffered extensive damage, but was able to make it safely to Paengyong-do Korea.
7 October 1952
A USAF RB-29 of the 91st SRS was shot down over the Kurile Islands by two Soviet La-11 fighters. The crew of eight, including Eugene M. English, John R. Dunham, Paul E. Brock, Samuel A. Colgan, John A Hirsch, Thomas G. Shipp, Fred G. Kendrick and Frank E. Neal III, were all listed as missing and presumed dead. Soviet search and rescue units recovered the body of one crewman, John R. Dunham. His remains were initially buried on Yuriy Island in the Kuriles, but were returned to the US in 1994.
18 November 1952
Navy pilot Royce Williams, flying a 9F9 Panther, engaged seven Soviet MiG-15s over North Korea and shot down four. Due to the fact that the MiGs attacked from the Soviet Union, the engagement was kept secret until 2002. Royce, at the age of 97, received the Navy Cross in 2022.
29 November 1952
A China Air Transport C-47 on a mission to pick up agent Li Chun-ying was shot down over China. CAT pilots Snoddy and Schwartz were killed. CIA agents Richard Fectau and Jack Downey were captured and held in China until December 12, 1971 and March 12, 1973, respectively.
12 January 1953
A USAF B-29 on a leaflet-dropping mission over Manchuria was shot down by a swarm of 12 enemy fighters. Eleven out of 14 crewmembers survived. They were captured by the Chinese and not released until 1956.
18 January 1953
A US Navy P2V-5 of VP-22 was damaged by Chinese anti-aircraft fire over Swatow China, but was able to ditch in the Formosa Strait. Eleven of thirteen crewmen were rescued by a US Coast Guard PBM-5, while under fire from Chinese shore batteries on Nan Ao Tao Island. Attempting to take off in 8-12 foot swells, the PBM crashed. Ten survivors out of nineteen total (including five from the P2V-5) were rescued by the destroyer USS Halsey Powell (DD 686).
10 March 1953
Two USAF F-84Gs, based in West Germany, crossed into Czechoslovakian airspace. They were intercepted by Czech MiG-15s and one F-84G was shot down.
12
March 1953.
An RAF Lincoln, with a crew of seven, was shot down over East Germany while on a training mission inside the Berlin Air Corridor. All seven crewmen were killed
15 March 1953
An RB-50 reconnaissance plane of the 38th SRS, 55th SRW was intercepted by two Soviet MiG-15s approximately 25 miles off the Kamchatka Peninsula. After escorting the RB-50 for a short time, one Soviet pilot opened fire on the RB-50. The RB-50 returned fire and the MiG pilot quickly broke off the attack.
21 July 1953
Two Chinese MiGs damaged a US Navy PBM-5 in an attack that took place over the Yellow Sea.
29 July 1953
A USAF RB-50 of the 343rd SRS, 55th SRW, temporarily attached to the 91st SRS based at Yokota Air Base, Japan, was shot down over the Sea of Japan, Southeast of Vladivostok, by two MiG-15s. The RB-50's tail gunner was able to fire a brief burst at the MiG-15s, but the fighters quickly downed the plane. The co-pilot of the RB-50, John E. Roche, was the sole survivor of the 16-man crew. After several hours in a survival raft, Roche was rescued by the USS Picking (DD 685). The remains of Stanley O'Kelley and Francis L. Brown were later recovered. The other crew, including James G. Keith, Francisco J. Tejeda, Warren J. Sanderson, Robert E. Stalnaker, Lloyd C. Wiggins, Roland E. Goulet, Earl W. Radlein Jr., Charles J. Russell Jr., James E. Woods, John C. Ward, Edmund J. Czyz, Frank E. Beyer, Donald W. Gabree and Donald G. Hill were never found.
July 1953
An RAF Canberra reportedly suffered damage during a flight over the USSR, but returned safely to base.
17 August 1953
A T-6 was shot down over the Korean demilitarized zone.
27 January 1954
An RB-45 flying over the Yellow Sea with an escort of F-86 Sabres was attacked by eight MiG-15s. One MiG was shot down.
21 March 1954
Two US Navy AD-4s from the USS Randolph (CVA 15) conducted a simulated strike mission against a West German airfield. They were attacked over or near the Czechoslovak border by a Czech MiG-15. One AD-4 received damage to its tail.
April 1954
An RB-45C operated by the RAF narrowly escaped being shot down by antiaircraft fire near Kiev. The mission was aborted.
8 May 1954
 |
| A B-47 Stratojet Using Rocket-Assisted Takeoff |
Three USAF RB-47E reconnaissance planes took off from RAF Fairford in England for a deep penetration reconnaissance flight over the Soviet Union. Two of the Stratojets flew as airborne spares and turned back before the overflight began. The remaining plane penetrated Soviet airspace near Murmansk. The plane flew over numerous Soviet airfields and naval facilities conducting photographic reconnaissance and making radar scope images of the various facilities. The RB-47E continued to Arkhangelsk before turning west and heading back to England. The USAF plane was intercepted by MiG fighters after being over Soviet territory for about 50 miles. Initially, MiG-15s were spotted, but a short time later a flight of MiG-17s appeared. The operational deployment of the MiG-17 was a significant surprise to the crew of the RB-47. When the MiG-17s climbed to approximately the same altitude as the reconnaissance plane (38,000 feet) they opened fire. The Soviet fighters each made single shooting passes at the USAF plane. The RB-47 was equipped with a tail gun controlled by the copilot and returned fire but did not hit any of the Soviet planes. One MiG 17 was able to hit the Stratojet with several rounds and caused moderate damage to the wing and fuselage. Before the MiGs were able to shoot down the USAF plane, it crossed the border into Finland and the MiGs broke off the attack. However, during the attack the RB-47's fuel tanks were hit and the plane nearly ran out of fuel before it was met by a Boeing KC-97 tanker for in-flight refueling. The RB-47E landed safely in England a short time later.
22 July 1954
A Cathay Pacific Airlines DC-4 on a flight from Bangkok, Thailand to Hong Kong, was shot down by Chinese La-9 fighters near Hainan Island, China. Of the 18 people on board (including 6 Americans), 10 were killed and 8 survived.
26 July 1954
Two US Navy AD-4 Skyraiders were launched from the USS Philippine Sea (CVA 47) to look for survivors from the Cathay Pacific DC-4 shot down four days previously. They were attacked by two Chinese La-9s. Both Chinese aircraft were shot down. A Chinese gunboat also fired upon the US aircraft, but inflicted no damage.
4 September 1954
A USN P2V-5 of VP-19, operating from NAS Atsugi Japan, was attacked 40 miles off the coast of Siberia by two Soviet MiG-15s. The aircraft ditched and one crewmember, Roger H. Reid was lost. The other crewmembers, John B. Wayne, John C. Fischer, William A. Bedard, Frank E. Petty, Anthony P. Granera, Texas R. Stone, Paul R. Mulmollem, Ernest L. Pinkevich and David A. Atwell were rescued by a USAF SA-16 amphibian.
7 November 1954
A USAF RB-29 was shot down by Soviet fighters near Hokkaido. The plane, which carried a crew of eleven, was conducting photographic reconnaissance near Hokkaido and the southern Kuril Islands. Ten crewmen were rescued, but the eleventh man drowned when he became entangled in his parachute lines.
5 February 1955
A USAF RB-45 was attacked over the Yellow Sea, 40 miles West of Pyongyang, by two North Korean MiG-15s. The MiGs were shot down by USAF F-86 Sabres escorting the RB-45.
9 February 1955
While flying an antisubmarine patrol mission from the USS Wasp (CVA 18), an AD-5W sustained damage from Chinese antiaircraft artillery. The AD-5W was covering the evacuation of Chinese Nationalists from the Tachen islands. The aircraft ditched and the three-man crew was rescued by Nationalist Chinese patrol boats.
17 April 1955
A USAF RB-47, with a crew of three, was shot down by two MiG-15s near Kamchatka. The crew of Lacie C. Neighbors, Robert N. Brooks and Richard E. Watkins Jr. were presumed killed.
22 June 1955
A USN P2V-5 Neptune of VP-9, flying a patrol mission from Kodiak Alaska, was attacked over the Bering Strait by two Soviet MiG-15s. The aircraft crash-landed on St. Lawrence Island after an engine was set afire. Of the eleven crewmembers, four sustained injuries due to gunfire and six were injured during the landing. The USA demanded $724,947 in compensation; the USSR finally paid half this amount. The crew was rescued by local inhabitants.
27 July 1955
An El Al Lockheed Constellation was shot down by Bulgarian aircraft. All 40 on board were killed.
17 August 1955
A T-6 was shot down over the Korean demilitarized zone.
22 August 1956
While on a patrol mission from Iwakuni Japan, a USN P4M-1Q Mercator of VQ-1 disappeared after a night attack by a PLAAF fighter. The plane went down 32 miles off the coast of Wenchow China and 180 miles north of Formosa. There were no survivors among the 16 crewmembers. The body of crewman Jack A. Curtis and some wreckage were recovered by the USS Dennis J. Buckley (DDR 808).
10 September 1956
A USAF RB-50 was lost over the Sea of Japan. The crew of 16 are presumed dead. Although it was at first thought that the aircraft might have been lost due to hostile action, it is now considered most likely that the aircraft crashed due to weather (Typhoon Emma).
12 June 1957
Four USN AD-6s from VA-145 launched from the USS Hornet (CVA 12) and overflew the coast of China. They encountered antiaircraft fire and one aircraft sustained light damage.
23 December 1957
A T-33, with one crewmember on board, was lost over Albania.
24 December 1957
A USAF RB-57 disappeared over the Black Sea.
February 1958
A Taiwan RB-57D was shot down over China.
6 March 1958
An F-86 was shot down over North Korea.
27 June 1958
A USAF C-118 with a crew of nine aboard was downed by Soviet MiG-17s about 30 kilometers South of Yerevan, Armenia. Five crewmembers parachuted to safety and four others survived the crash landing. The crew of Dale D. Brannon, Luther W. Lyles, Robert E. Crans, Bennie A. Shupe, James T. Kane, James N. Luther, James G. Holman, Earl H. Reamer and Peter N. Sabo were captured and later released by the Soviets on July 7, 1958.
2 September 1958
A USAF C-130A with 17 crew aboard was shot down by Soviet MiG-17s near Sasnashen, Soviet Armenia, about 55 kilometers northwest of the Armenian capital of Yerevan. The C-130 was a "Sun Valley" SIGINT aircraft. The remains of John E. Simpson, Rudy J. Swiestra, Edward J. Jeruss and Ricardo M. Vallareal were returned to the US on September 24, 1958. The remains of the other crewmembers, Paul E. Duncan, George P. Petrochilos, Arthur L. Mello, Leroy Price, Robert J. Oshinskie, Archie T. Bourg Jr., James E. Ferguson, Joel H. Fields, Harold T. Kamps, Gerald C. Maggiacomo, Clement O. Mankins, Gerald H. Medeiros and Robert H. Moore were never returned.
16 June 1959
While flying a patrol mission over the Sea of Japan, a USN P4M-1Q of VQ-1 was attacked 50 miles east of the Korean DMZ by two North Korean MiGs. During the attack, the US aircraft sustained serious damage to the starboard engine and the tailgunner was seriously wounded. The aircraft made it back to Miho AFB, Japan.
7 October 1959
An RB-57D, flown by Taiwan Air Force Captain Wang Ying Chin, was shot down over Beijing, China by an SA-2 Guideline missile.
1 May 1960
A CIA Lockheed U-2C, flown by Francis Gary Powers, was shot down by an SA-2 Guideline missile near Sverdlovsk, USSR. Recent evidence indicates that Powers was shot down by the first of three missiles fired by a battery commanded by Mikhail Voronov. A Soviet MiG-19 pilot, Sergey Safronov, was shot down and killed by another SA-2 Guideline fired later in the incident. Powers bailed out and parachuted to safety. He was taken captive, tried and sentenced by a Soviet court. He was exchanged for Soviet spy Rudolf Abel on February 10, 1962 in Berlin. Over 250 U-2 missions were flown, and they were not just for photographic intelligence. Sigint was also a crucial target.
25 May 1960
A C-47 was lost over East Germany. The nine crewmembers were safely recovered.
1 July 1960
A USAF RB-47H of the 38th SRS, 55th SRW, was shot down by a MiG-19 while flying over the Barents Sea in international waters. Co-pilot Bruce Olmstead and navigator John McKone were taken captive. The pilot, Bill Palm, and ELINT operators Eugene Posa, Oscar Goforth and Dean Phillips were killed. Olmstead and McKone were released on January 25, 1961. Bill Palm's remains were returned to the US on July 25, 1950. Eugene Posa's remains were recovered by the Soviets, but were never returned to the US.
9 September 1962
A Taiwan U-2C was shot down over Eastern China.
27 October 1962
A USAF U-2A of the 4080th SRW, piloted by Rudolf Anderson, was shot down by an SA-2 Guideline missile over Cuba during the Cuban missile crisis. Anderson was killed.
17 May 1963
A helicopter was shot down over the Korean demilitarized zone
19 July 1963
Mirage IIIC of the Israel Air Force 101 Squadron forced a USAF RB-57 overflying Israel to land at Lod Airport.
6 August 1963
An LT was shot down over North Korea.
1 November 1963
A Taiwan U-2C was shot down over Shanghai, China. The pilot, Major Yei Chang Yi, was released in 1983.
24 January 1964
A USAF T-39, based in Wiesbaden West Germany, was shot down by a Soviet fighter over Thuringia, about 60 miles inside East Germany while on a training flight. The crew of three, Gerald Hannaford, John Lorraine and Donald Millard were killed.
10 March 1964
A USAF RB-66 from the 10th SRW, based at Toul-Rosieres France, was shot down over East Germany by Soviet MiGs. The aircraft was shot down near Gardelegen, after straying out of one of the Berlin air corridors. The three crewmembers, David Holland, Melvin Kessler and Harold Welch parachuted to safety and were released several days later.
7 July 1964
A Taiwan U-2C was shot down over Southern China.
15 July 1964
A Soviet Tu-16 crashed in the Sea of Japan near the USS Bennington, USS Cunningham and USS Eversole.
10 January 1965
A Taiwan U-2C was shot down South of Beijing. The pilot, Major Jack Chang, was taken prisoner. He was released in 1983.
27 April 1965
An ERB-47H was attacked and damaged by North Korean MiG-17s. It made an emergency landing at Yokota AFB, with two engines out.
14 December 1965
A USAF RB-57F of the 7407 Support Squadron at Wiesbaden West Germany was lost over the Black Sea, near Odessa. Pilot Lester L. Lackey and the other crewmember were presumed killed. Recent investigations indicate that there might not have been any Soviet activity related to this loss.
1 January 1966
A USN KA-3B was shot down over South China.
13 January 1967
Twelve PLAAF MiG-19s engaged in a dogfight with four Taiwan F-104s over the Straits of Taiwan. One MiG-19 was shot down.
9 September 1967
A Taiwan U-2C was shot down over Eastern China.
2 April 1968
A Taiwan U-2 was shot down over China
25 May 1968
A Soviet Tu-16 crashed in the Norwegian Sea, near the USS Essex.
30 June 1968
A Charter DC-8 strayed over the Kurile Islands while on its way to a refueling stop in Yokota and was forced by Soviet MiGs to land on Etorofu. Intense negotiations between Moscow and Washington for the release of the airliner, crew and passengers ensued. After being told by Soviet Foreign Minister Andrey Gromyko that a quick release could not be assured, the Soviets relented a day later after receiving an apology for the incident.
March 1969
A U-2C, operated by the Taiwan Air Force, was shot down over Inner Mongolia.
15 April 1969
While flying a patrol mission over the Sea of Japan, a USN EC-121M of VQ-was attacked by North Korean fighters 90 miles off the coast of Korea. All 31 crewmembers were killed in the attack. Two bodies and some wreckage were recovered by search vessels.
17 August 1969
A US Army OH-23 was downed over the Korean demilitarized zone.
21 October 1970
A USAF U-8 was lost over the USSR (Armenia). The crew of four was rescued.
21 March 1973
A USAF C-130B-II was attacked off the Libyan coast and damaged.
May 1974
China reportedly shoots down a US spy balloon over Hebei province.
13 October 1974
A C-130H disappeared over the South China Sea.
14 June 1977
A US Army CH-47 was downed over the Korean demilitarized zone.
20 April 1978
A Korean Airlines Boeing 707, due to a navigational error, overflew Murmansk while on a Paris-Anchorage flight. It was attacked and hit by Su-15 interceptors, crash-landing on a frozen lake. Pilot and passengers were released, though there were some casualties during the attack.
16 September
1980
An RC-135U of the 55th SRW was attacked off the Libyan coast and sustained unspecified damage.
18 July 1981
A Soviet Su-15TM, flown by Valentin Kalyupin, destroyed a Canada Air CL-44 belonging to an Argentine company over Soviet Armenia, not far from the Iranian border. The CL-44 had just completed the third of twelve scheduled flights from Tel Aviv to Tehran via Larnaca, Cyprus, carrying the aircraft tires and other spares bought from Israeli arms dealers.
1 September 1983
KAL 007, a Korean Airlines Boeing 747, was shot down over Sakhalin by a Su-15. All 269 on board were killed. The Soviets justified the shootdown by claiming that KAL 007 was on an espionage mission. After the fall of the Soviet Union, the Russian government turned over the "black boxes" to ICAO (earlier, the Soviets had claimed they had not been able to find the black boxes). Analysis of the tapes demonstrated that a fundamental error of navigation caused the jet to fly off course and over Soviet airspace.
5 October 1986
A Corporate Air Services C-123 dropping supplies to the Contras in Nicaragua was shot down by a Sandinista soldier, using an SA-7. CIA pilots Wallace "Buzz" Sawyer and William Cooper were killed in the crash. Loadmaster Eugene Hasenfus parachuted to safety and was taken prisoner. He was released in December 1986.
24 April 1992
Peruvian Su-22s
attacked a USAF C-130H of the 310th Airlift Squadron. Crewmember Joseph C. Beard, Jr. was sucked
from the cabin at 18,500 feet and Ronald Hetzel sustained severe injuries. Four other crewmembers were also wounded.
07 June 1994
A Lockheed L-100 (US contract) was reportedly forced to land at Adler, on the Black Sea.
17 December 1994
A US Army OH-58A Helicopter was shot down over North Korea. One crewmember, David Hilemon, was killed and the other, Bobby W. Hall II, was taken captive and released 13 days later.
12 September
1995
A Hot-Air Balloon involved in a Trans-Europe race was shot down by a Belarusian helicopter, for completely unfathomable reasons, like much of what goes on these days in Belarus. Two American balloonists, Alan Fraenckel and John Stuart-Jervis were killed.
24 February 1996
Two civilian US-registered Cessna 337 twin-engine aircraft, operated by Cuban exiles, were shot down by Cuban MiG-29s over the Florida Straits.
1 April 2001
A US Navy EP-3E Aries II of VQ-1, with a crew of 24 aboard, was damaged in a mid-air collision with one of two intercepting PLANAF F-8s off the coast of Hainan Island. The EP-3E made an emergency landing at an airbase in Lingshui China. The pilot of the F-8 involved in the collision, Wang Wei, ejected but was lost at sea. The pilot of the second F-8, Zhao Yu, returned safely to base. The US crew was released on April 11th. The EP-3E was disassembled and returned to the US in an An-124 two months later.
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29 September 2022
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