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N0KFQ > TODAY 20.04.15 17:02l 45 Lines 2062 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 53403_N0KFQ
Read: GUEST
Subj: Today in History - Apr 20
Path: IZ3LSV<IW8PGT<CX2SA<N9PMO<N6RME<N0KFQ
Sent: 150420/1600Z 53403@N0KFQ.#SWMO.MO.USA.NA BPQ1.4.63
1978
Korean Air Lines jet forced down over Soviet Union
Soviet aircraft force a Korean Air Lines passenger jet to land in
the Soviet Union after the jet veers into Russian airspace. Two
people were killed and several others injured when the jet made a
rough landing on a frozen lake about 300 miles south of Murmansk.
The jet was on a flight from Paris to Seoul when the incident
occurred. Soviet officials claimed that the plane, which usually
flew over the northern polar regions to reach Seoul, suddenly
veered sharply to the east and penetrated Russian airspace.
Soviet jets intercepted the passenger plane and ordered it to
land. Instead of going to the airfield indicated by the Soviet
jets, however, the KAL flight made a very rough landing on a
frozen lake south of Murmansk. Two passengers were killed and
several others were injured during the landing. A short time
later, the Soviet Union allowed a civilian American aircraft to
retrieve the survivors.
U.S. officials were confused about what had gone wrong with the
KAL flight, and Soviet officials were not extraordinarily helpful
in clearing up matters. South Korea claimed that "navigational
errors" were to blame for the plane flying so far off course.
Aviation experts, however, doubted that "errors" of that
magnitude would occur in such a sophisticated aircraft or that
navigation problems could account for the plane's wildly
inaccurate flight pattern. All that could be said for certain was
that the episode once again demonstrated the Soviet Union's
strict adherence to the protection of its airspace. Since the end
of World War II a number of civilian and military aircraft had
been driven away, forced to land, or shot down by the Soviet
airforce. The Russian policy would have even more tragic
consequences on September 1, 1983, when Soviet jets shot down KAL
Flight 007 after it veered 300 miles off course and flew over the
Soviet Union-nearly 270 people died in that crash.
73, K.O. n0kfq
N0KFQ @ N0KFQ.#SWMO.MO.USA.NA
E-mail: kohiggs@gmail.com
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