Airplane shootdown tragedies throughout history

Sadly, tragedies like this have happened before. Here are some fatal passenger plane shootdown incidents from the past.

July 17, 2014

Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 (MH17)

Flight MH17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine on July 17, 2014, en route from the Dutch capital of Amsterdam to Malaysia's Kuala Lumpur. All 298 people on board were killed. The Boeing 777 is believed to have been shot down by a Buk surface-to-air missile.

Oct 4, 2001

Siberia Airlines Flight 1812

Siberia Airlines Flight 1812, a Tupolev Tu-154, was traveling from Tel Aviv, Israel to Novosibirsk, Russia and was shot down over the Black Sea by the Ukrainian military on Oct 4, 2001, killing all 78 people on board.

July 3, 1988

Iran Air Filght 655

Iran Air Filght 655 was traveling from Tehran to Dubai when it was shot down by the US Navy guided missile cruiser USS Vincennes on July 3, 1988, killing all 290 on board, including 66 children.

Sept 1, 1983

Korean Air Lines Flight 007 (KAL 007)

KAL 007 was shot down by a Soviet Su-15 interceptor west of Sakhalin Island in the Sea of Japan on Sept 1, 1983. All 269 passengers and crew aboard, including Lawrence McDonald, a US congressman, were killed. The downing of KAL 007 was considered one of the deadliest and most important events of the Cold War.

Sept 3, 1978

Air Rhodesia Flight 825

The Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA) shot down Air Rhodesia Flight 825 flying from Kariba to Salisbury on Sept 3, 1978, soon after takeoff. 18 people survived the crash, but 10 of the survivors were shot dead by ZIPRA guerrillas. A similar incident happened to Air Rhodesia Flight 827 about five months later, killing all 59 people aboard.

Feb 21, 1973

Libyan Arab Airlines Flight 114

Libyan Airlines Flight 114 was flying from Tripoli to Cairo and entered Israeli-controlled airspace due to a combination of bad weather and equipment failure on Feb 21, 1973. The Boeing 727 was shot down by two Israeli F-4 Phantom II fighters after refusing to land, killing 108 passengers and crew onboard and injuring five.