Why did a Soviet Aircraft Shoot Down a Boeing 747 in 1983?
On September 1, 1983, Korean Air Flight 007, a Boeing 747-230B operating as KE 007, carrying 246 passengers and 23 crew members, was shot down over the Sea of Japan by a Soviet Su-15 interceptor after it drifted 200 miles off course into Soviet airspace, killing all 269 people on board.
The pilot of the Soviet Su-15 interceptor, Soviet Major Gennadi Osipovich, was not punished by the Soviet government.
On September 1, 1983, KE007 took off from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, bound for Incheon International Airport in Incheon, South Korea, with a stopover at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport in Anchorage, Alaska.
After departing Anchorage, Alaska, at 4:00 a.m. local time on August 31, 1983, their intended flight path took them on course with the R-20 route, which passed south of Soviet airspace, but a navigational error, leaving the autopilot in heading mode, caused the airliner to drift into Soviet airspace at the height of the Cold War.
Furthermore, during the flight from Anchorage, Alaska, to Seoul, South Korea, the Boeing 747 was intercepted by Soviet Union jets twice.
The first interception came at 16:30 UTC over Kamchatka, Russia, where MiG-23 fighters failed to intercept the plane before it cleared Soviet Airspace.
Then, at 18:12 UTC over Sakhalin Island, Russia, a Sukhoi Su-15 and MiG-23 aircraft trailed the aircraft, leading to the shootdown occurring at 18:26 UTC.
In the aftermath of the downing of KE 007, former President of the United States, Ronald Reagan, labeled the attack on civilians a “crime against humanity,” while former United States Secretary of State George Shultz denounced the action taken by the Soviets.
Meanwhile, the Soviet Union denied involvement in the shootdown as they claimed it was part of a U.S. spying mission.
Overall, Ronald Reagan announced that the military’s Global Positioning System would be made available for civilian use to prevent similar disasters, while modern flight management systems replaced older inertial navigation systems for safety.
Frequently Asked Questions:
1) Why did the Soviet Union shoot down KE 007?
The Soviet military mistook the civilian airliner for a United States spy plane.
Source: https://www.britannica.com/event/Korean-Air-Lines-flight-007
2) Why did KE 007 go off course? The primary cause was a navigational error. The aircraft’s autopilot was likely left in a magnetic heading mode instead of being engaged with the Inertial Navigation System, causing the plane to slowly drift off course.
3) How many Boeing 747 aircraft have been written off? 66 Boeing 747 aircraft have suffered hull losses.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_accidents_and_incidents_involving_the_Boeing_747
Why it matters
The shootdown of Korean Air Flight 007 exposed the dangers of Cold War mistrust and miscommunication, leading to changes in international aviation safety.