Martin Antonenko
A Fixture
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2008
- Messages
- 9,001
The Bulgarians don't hesitate...!
On July 27, 1955 at 2:53 a.m., a Lockeed "Super Constellation" of the Israeli state airline "El-Al" takes off from Vienna-Swechat Airport.
The "Super Connie" (El Al Flight 402) is fully occupied with 58 people on board, comes from London and is now on its way to Tel Aviv. The captain wants to take the usual air route, which goes via Istambul...:
What the crew of the "Super Connie" doesn't know: Their radio headpass is jammed due to a thunderstorm raging nearby and is reading incorrectly!:
In any case, the "El Al machine" missed the Skopje radio beacon and penetrated the blocked airspace of the People's Republic of Bulgaria!
Two Bulgarian "MiG 15" interceptors then take off...
...and their pilots don't hesitate:
You shoot immediately!
At an altitude of 18,000 feet (5,490 m), the outer hull of the "Super Connie" is punctured several times - an explosive pressure drop begins in the machine! The aircraft is badly damaged but still airworthy with all engines and control surfaces still intact.
The "El Al" captain then initiates a steep dive in order to be able to create a natural pressure equalization at a lower altitude.
Whether or not the Bulgarians misinterpreted this emergency maneuver as an escape attempt, they attacked the civilian aircraft again at an altitude of 8,000 feet (2,440 m).
This time at least one of the four engines is set on fire - but the "Super Connie" flies on burning on a slight descent.
Five minutes later, the "MiGs" attack a third time:
They sit down behind the "El Al" plane, which only flies at an altitude of 2,000 feet (610 m) and cover it with long sheaves from their machine guns (rockets didn't exist back then!).
Then the left wing breaks off - and shortly afterwards the fuselage bursts.
The debris of the "Super Connie" and the body parts of the occupants fall over the Bulgarian town of Petrisch!
There are no survivors.
The Bulgarian government formally apologizes to Israel - but refuses any Israeli participation in the following investigation. The six experts sent by Israel will not be allowed into the country!
The recovered corpses are transferred to Israel and buried there. There is also a memorial commemorating the shooting down of the plane.
On July 27, 1955 at 2:53 a.m., a Lockeed "Super Constellation" of the Israeli state airline "El-Al" takes off from Vienna-Swechat Airport.
The "Super Connie" (El Al Flight 402) is fully occupied with 58 people on board, comes from London and is now on its way to Tel Aviv. The captain wants to take the usual air route, which goes via Istambul...:
What the crew of the "Super Connie" doesn't know: Their radio headpass is jammed due to a thunderstorm raging nearby and is reading incorrectly!:
In any case, the "El Al machine" missed the Skopje radio beacon and penetrated the blocked airspace of the People's Republic of Bulgaria!
Two Bulgarian "MiG 15" interceptors then take off...
...and their pilots don't hesitate:
You shoot immediately!
At an altitude of 18,000 feet (5,490 m), the outer hull of the "Super Connie" is punctured several times - an explosive pressure drop begins in the machine! The aircraft is badly damaged but still airworthy with all engines and control surfaces still intact.
The "El Al" captain then initiates a steep dive in order to be able to create a natural pressure equalization at a lower altitude.
Whether or not the Bulgarians misinterpreted this emergency maneuver as an escape attempt, they attacked the civilian aircraft again at an altitude of 8,000 feet (2,440 m).
This time at least one of the four engines is set on fire - but the "Super Connie" flies on burning on a slight descent.
Five minutes later, the "MiGs" attack a third time:
They sit down behind the "El Al" plane, which only flies at an altitude of 2,000 feet (610 m) and cover it with long sheaves from their machine guns (rockets didn't exist back then!).
Then the left wing breaks off - and shortly afterwards the fuselage bursts.
The debris of the "Super Connie" and the body parts of the occupants fall over the Bulgarian town of Petrisch!
There are no survivors.
The Bulgarian government formally apologizes to Israel - but refuses any Israeli participation in the following investigation. The six experts sent by Israel will not be allowed into the country!
The recovered corpses are transferred to Israel and buried there. There is also a memorial commemorating the shooting down of the plane.
