El Al Flight 402
Encyclopedia
El Al
Flight 402, a Lockheed
L-049 Constellation
pressurized four-engine propliner
, registered 4X-AKC, was an international passenger flight from Vienna
, Austria
to Tel Aviv
, Israel
via Istanbul
, Turkey
, on July 27, 1955, which strayed into Bulgaria
n airspace and was shot down by two Bulgarian MiG-15
jet fighters and crashed near Petrich
, Bulgaria. All 7 crew and 51 passengers on board the airliner were killed. The crash took place amid highly strained relations between the Eastern Bloc and the West and was the deadliest involving the Lockheed L-049 Constellation at the time.
, England
, and departed Vienna's Wien-Schwechat International Airport
(VIE) at 02:53, bound to Tel Aviv
's Lod Airport
(since renamed to Ben Gurion International Airport
) via Istanbul
. Why the plane veered off its intended route was never established, with highly conflicting opinions both from Israeli and Bulgarian investigators. One possibility is that, using NDB
navigation, thunderstorm
activity in the area might have upset the navigational equipment so that the crew believed they were over the Skopje radio beacon, and turned to an outbound course of 142 degrees, but this version is not supported by any factual evidence of thunderstorms in the area. As a result this version for the shooting are both disputed by both Bulgarian military and by current historiographers of Bulgarian aviation It is firmly established only that the El Al flight, flying at FL180 (an altitude of approximately 18,000 feet above mean sea level
), strayed off the Amber 10 airway into Bulgarian territory. Bypassing the town of Tran
, the El Al plane traveled a total of 200 km on Bulgarian territory, at a 120 km distance from the border it crossed before being shot down.
jets with pilots Petrov (pair leader) and Sankiisky, by order of the Deputy Chief of Air Defense, Gen. Velitchko Georgiev. The MiGs took off the Dobroslavtsi
airport, responsible for the defense of the capital city of Sofia
. According to pilots Petrov and Sankiisky, Sankiisky first attempted to warn the El Al plane that it was in violation, by shooting signal rounds in front of the Constellation's nose; Petrov repeated the warning. In the meantime, the El Al plane neared the Southern border of Bulgaria with Greece and the near-border city of Petrich, where it was ultimately shot down. According to Petrov and Sankiisky, the Constellation initially pretended to follow the instructions and deployed its flaps and landing gear, but then sharply retracted them and changed course to Greece, hoping to escape the fighters. Pilots' account has subsequently been disputed, however, the physical place of the crash near Petrich (a town several kilometers away from the border with Greece) suggests that without any doubt the El Al flight had been followed without shooting until its very last minutes on Bulgarian territory. The final shoot-down order was given by Gen. Velitchko Georgiev, deputy commander-in-chief of Air Defense, who is quoted saying "If the plane is leaving our territory, disobeying orders, and there is no time left for more warnings, then shoot it down". The airliner was shot from MiG-15's guns and then descended, breaking apart at 2,000 feet, and crashing in flames north of the town of Petrich
, Bulgaria
, near the Yugoslav
and Greek
borders, killing the 7 crew and 51 passengers on board.
At first, however, it was speculated that the aircraft was not brought down by fighters but by anti-aircraft guns from the ground. The next day, the Bulgarian government admitted to shooting down the airliner. They expressed regret and arranged an official inquiry (but would not allow a six-man investigative team from Israel to take part). This latter action has subsequently been criticized both by the Israelis and by Bulgarian sources within the investigation
The accident was investigated and the following probable cause statement was issued:
As a followup/safety action, it was recommended that more VOR
stations be used on airway Amber 10, instead of just one at the time of the accident.
earlier the same year, so after the incident both pilots were considered for demotion and threatened with prison terms by the minister of the interior Georgi Tzankov. Actual terms, however, were not given, as the pilots were determined to have followed the orders given. Although the Bulgarian government at first refused to accept responsibility, blaming the Israeli airliner for penetrating its airspace without authorization, it eventually issued a formal apology, stating that the fighter pilots had been "too hasty" in shooting down the airliner, and agreed to pay compensation to the victims' families.
El Al
El Al Israel Airlines Ltd , trading as El Al , is the flag carrier of Israel. It operates scheduled domestic and international services and cargo flights to Europe, North America, Africa and the Far East from its main base in Ben Gurion International Airport...
Flight 402, a Lockheed
Lockheed Corporation
The Lockheed Corporation was an American aerospace company. Lockheed was founded in 1912 and later merged with Martin Marietta to form Lockheed Martin in 1995.-Origins:...
L-049 Constellation
Lockheed Constellation
The Lockheed Constellation was a propeller-driven airliner powered by four 18-cylinder radial Wright R-3350 engines. It was built by Lockheed between 1943 and 1958 at its Burbank, California, USA, facility. A total of 856 aircraft were produced in numerous models, all distinguished by a...
pressurized four-engine propliner
Propliner
A propliner is a large, propeller-driven airliner. Typically, the term is used for piston-powered airliners that flew before the beginning of the jet age, not for modern turbine-powered propeller airliners...
, registered 4X-AKC, was an international passenger flight from Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
to Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
via Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, on July 27, 1955, which strayed into Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
n airspace and was shot down by two Bulgarian MiG-15
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 was a jet fighter developed for the USSR by Artem Mikoyan and Mikhail Gurevich. The MiG-15 was one of the first successful swept-wing jet fighters, and it achieved fame in the skies over Korea, where early in the war, it outclassed all straight-winged enemy fighters in...
jet fighters and crashed near Petrich
Petrich
Petrich is a town in Blagoevgrad Province in southwestern Bulgaria, located at the foot of the Belasica Mountains in the Strumeshnitsa Valley. , the town has 29920 inhabitants.Petrich is located close to the borders with Greece and the Republic of Macedonia...
, Bulgaria. All 7 crew and 51 passengers on board the airliner were killed. The crash took place amid highly strained relations between the Eastern Bloc and the West and was the deadliest involving the Lockheed L-049 Constellation at the time.
Flight history
The Constellation originated its scheduled weekly flight from LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and departed Vienna's Wien-Schwechat International Airport
Vienna International Airport
Vienna International Airport , located in Schwechat and southeast of central Vienna, is the busiest and biggest airport in Austria. It is often referred to as Schwechat, the name of the county it is in. The airport is capable of handling wide-body aircraft such as the Boeing 747 and Airbus A340...
(VIE) at 02:53, bound to Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
's Lod Airport
Ben Gurion International Airport
Ben Gurion International Airport , also referred to by its Hebrew acronym Natbag , is the largest and busiest international airport in Israel, handling 12,160,339 passengers in 2010...
(since renamed to Ben Gurion International Airport
Ben Gurion International Airport
Ben Gurion International Airport , also referred to by its Hebrew acronym Natbag , is the largest and busiest international airport in Israel, handling 12,160,339 passengers in 2010...
) via Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
. Why the plane veered off its intended route was never established, with highly conflicting opinions both from Israeli and Bulgarian investigators. One possibility is that, using NDB
Non-directional beacon
A non-directional beacon is a radio transmitter at a known location, used as an aviation or marine navigational aid. As the name implies, the signal transmitted does not include inherent directional information, in contrast to other navigational aids such as low frequency radio range, VHF...
navigation, thunderstorm
Thunderstorm
A thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm, a lightning storm, thundershower or simply a storm is a form of weather characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustic effect on the Earth's atmosphere known as thunder. The meteorologically assigned cloud type associated with the...
activity in the area might have upset the navigational equipment so that the crew believed they were over the Skopje radio beacon, and turned to an outbound course of 142 degrees, but this version is not supported by any factual evidence of thunderstorms in the area. As a result this version for the shooting are both disputed by both Bulgarian military and by current historiographers of Bulgarian aviation It is firmly established only that the El Al flight, flying at FL180 (an altitude of approximately 18,000 feet above mean sea level
Above mean sea level
The term above mean sea level refers to the elevation or altitude of any object, relative to the average sea level datum. AMSL is used extensively in radio by engineers to determine the coverage area a station will be able to reach...
), strayed off the Amber 10 airway into Bulgarian territory. Bypassing the town of Tran
Tran, Bulgaria
Tran |thorn]]") is a small town in Pernik Province, western Bulgaria. It is 27 kilometres away from the town of Breznik and 15 km from the border with Serbia....
, the El Al plane traveled a total of 200 km on Bulgarian territory, at a 120 km distance from the border it crossed before being shot down.
Incident
The aircraft's crossing of the Western Bulgarian border was registered by an observation post of the Bulgarian military near the town of Tran, and the Air Defence scrambled two MiG-15Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 was a jet fighter developed for the USSR by Artem Mikoyan and Mikhail Gurevich. The MiG-15 was one of the first successful swept-wing jet fighters, and it achieved fame in the skies over Korea, where early in the war, it outclassed all straight-winged enemy fighters in...
jets with pilots Petrov (pair leader) and Sankiisky, by order of the Deputy Chief of Air Defense, Gen. Velitchko Georgiev. The MiGs took off the Dobroslavtsi
Dobroslavtsi
Dobroslavtsi is a village in western Bulgaria, located in the Sofia-city Province. It is located from the city of Sofia....
airport, responsible for the defense of the capital city of Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
. According to pilots Petrov and Sankiisky, Sankiisky first attempted to warn the El Al plane that it was in violation, by shooting signal rounds in front of the Constellation's nose; Petrov repeated the warning. In the meantime, the El Al plane neared the Southern border of Bulgaria with Greece and the near-border city of Petrich, where it was ultimately shot down. According to Petrov and Sankiisky, the Constellation initially pretended to follow the instructions and deployed its flaps and landing gear, but then sharply retracted them and changed course to Greece, hoping to escape the fighters. Pilots' account has subsequently been disputed, however, the physical place of the crash near Petrich (a town several kilometers away from the border with Greece) suggests that without any doubt the El Al flight had been followed without shooting until its very last minutes on Bulgarian territory. The final shoot-down order was given by Gen. Velitchko Georgiev, deputy commander-in-chief of Air Defense, who is quoted saying "If the plane is leaving our territory, disobeying orders, and there is no time left for more warnings, then shoot it down". The airliner was shot from MiG-15's guns and then descended, breaking apart at 2,000 feet, and crashing in flames north of the town of Petrich
Petrich
Petrich is a town in Blagoevgrad Province in southwestern Bulgaria, located at the foot of the Belasica Mountains in the Strumeshnitsa Valley. , the town has 29920 inhabitants.Petrich is located close to the borders with Greece and the Republic of Macedonia...
, Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
, near the Yugoslav
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
and Greek
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
borders, killing the 7 crew and 51 passengers on board.
At first, however, it was speculated that the aircraft was not brought down by fighters but by anti-aircraft guns from the ground. The next day, the Bulgarian government admitted to shooting down the airliner. They expressed regret and arranged an official inquiry (but would not allow a six-man investigative team from Israel to take part). This latter action has subsequently been criticized both by the Israelis and by Bulgarian sources within the investigation
Investigation
The aircraft sustained a hit or hits which caused loss of pressurization and a fire in the heater compartment. The aircraft broke up in mid-air due to explosion caused by bullets hitting the right wing and probably the left wing together with a projectile or projectiles of large calibre in the rear end of the fuselage.
As a followup/safety action, it was recommended that more VOR
VHF omnidirectional range
VOR, short for VHF omnidirectional radio range, is a type of radio navigation system for aircraft. A VOR ground station broadcasts a VHF radio composite signal including the station's identifier, voice , and navigation signal. The identifier is typically a two- or three-letter string in Morse code...
stations be used on airway Amber 10, instead of just one at the time of the accident.
Aftermath
The incident took place during one of the harshest standoffs of the Cold War, so it is hardly surprising that each side interpreted it as a serious provocation. The Bulgarian Communist government saw the accident primarily as a political negative on the warm-up of East/West relations that had been achieved on talks in GenevaGeneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
earlier the same year, so after the incident both pilots were considered for demotion and threatened with prison terms by the minister of the interior Georgi Tzankov. Actual terms, however, were not given, as the pilots were determined to have followed the orders given. Although the Bulgarian government at first refused to accept responsibility, blaming the Israeli airliner for penetrating its airspace without authorization, it eventually issued a formal apology, stating that the fighter pilots had been "too hasty" in shooting down the airliner, and agreed to pay compensation to the victims' families.
See also
- List of notable accidents and incidents on commercial aircraft
- List of airliner shootdown incidents
- Korean Air Lines Flight 007
- Korean Air Lines Flight 902
- Nir Hen, an Israeli moshavMoshavMoshav is a type of Israeli town or settlement, in particular a type of cooperative agricultural community of individual farms pioneered by the Labour Zionists during the second aliyah...
named to commemorate the victims - Pinchas Ben-PoratPinchas Ben-PoratPinchas Ben-Porat was one of Israel's first aviators. He was involved in the Palavir, Sherut Avir, the IAF's 101 Squadron, and EL AL.-History:...
- Noted Israeli aviator, co pilot of Flight 402.
