Korean Air Lines Flight 007 ( KE007 / KAL007 ) was a Korean Air Lines flight scheduled from New York City to Seoul via Anchorage, Alaska. On September 1, 1983, the flight was shot down by a Soviet Sukhoi Su-15 fighter jet. The Boeing 747 passenger plane was en route from Anchorage to Seoul, but due to a navigation error by the crew, the plane deviated from its planned route and flew in Soviet restricted airspace over underground silos with intercontinental ballistic missiles. The Soviet Air Force treated the unidentified aircraft as an unauthorized US spy plane and, after firing warning shots, destroyed it with air-to-air missiles.
Airplane
The aircraft flying as Korean Air Lines Flight 007 was a Boeing 747-230B jet airliner with Boeing serial number 20559. The aircraft was powered by four Pratt & Whitney JT9D-7A engines.
Passengers and crew
| Nation | Victims | |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | 2 | |
| British Hong Kong | 12 | |
| Canada | 8 | |
| Dominican Republic | 1 | |
| India | 1 | |
| Iran | 1 | |
| Japan | 28 | |
| Malaysia | 1 | |
| Philippines | 16 | |
| South Korea | 105 * | |
| Sweden | 1 | |
| Taiwan | 23 | |
| Thailand | 5 | |
| United Kingdom | 2 | |
| United States | 62 | |
| Vietnam | 1 | |
| Total (16 Nationalities) | 269 | |
| 76 passengers, 23 active crew 6 deadheading crew | ||
The aircraft flying as Korean Air Lines Flight 007 departed from Gate 15 of John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York City, on August 31, 1983, at 00:25 EDT (04:25 UTC), bound for Kimpo International Airport in Gangseo District, Seoul, 35 minutes behind its scheduled departure time of 23:50 EDT, August 30 (03:50 UTC, August 31). The flight was carrying 246 passengers and 23 crew members. After refuelling at Anchorage International Airport in Anchorage, Alaska, the aircraft departed for Seoul at 04:00 AHDT (13:00 UTC) on August 31, 1983. This leg of the journey was piloted by Captain Chun Byung-in (45), First Officer Son Dong-hui (47), and Flight Engineer Kim Eui-dong (31). Captain Chun had a total of 10,627 flight hours, including 6,618 hours in the 747. First Officer Son had a total of 8,917 flight hours, including 3,411 hours in the 747. Flight Engineer Kim had a total of 4,012 flight hours, including 2,614 hours on the 747.
Korean Air Lines Flight 007 had an unusually high ratio of crew to passengers, as six deadheading crew were on board.Twelve passengers occupied the upper deck, first class, while in business class almost all of the 24 seats were taken; in economy class, approximately 80 seats were empty. There were 22 children under the age of 12 years aboard. One hundred thirty passengers planned to connect to other destinations such as Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Taipei.
| Shootdown | |
|---|---|
| Date | September 1, 1983 |
| Summary | Shot down by the Soviet Air Defense Forces due to navigation error by the pilots, leading to in-flight breakup |
| Site | East Sea, near Moneron Island, west of Sakhalin Island, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union 46°34′N 141°17′E |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Boeing 747-230B |
| Operator | Korean Air Lines |
| IATA flight No. | KE007 |
| ICAO flight No. | KAL007 |
| Call sign | KOREAN AIR 007 |
| Registration | HL7442 |
| Flight origin | John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York City, U.S. |
| Stopover | Anchorage International Airport, Anchorage, Alaska, U.S. |
| Destination | Kimpo International Airport, Kangso District, Seoul, South Korea |
| Occupants | 269 |
| Passengers | 246 |
| Crew | 23 |
| Fatalities | 269 |
| Survivors | 0 |
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