KAL 007 was on a spy mission
| KAL 007 was on a spy mission | |
|---|---|
| FALSE | |
| "Korean Air Lines Flight 007, shot down by a Soviet fighter in 1983, was on a deliberate spy mission for the United States." | |
| Domain | War, Conflict & Geopolitics |
| Tactic | Propaganda Technique |
| Era | Historical |
| First seen | 1983 |
| Origin | Soviet government statements after the shootdown |
| Last reviewed | 2026-11-01 |
| Further reading: books on War, Conflict & Geopolitics | |
On September 1, 1983, a Soviet Su-15 interceptor shot down Korean Air Lines Flight 007, a Boeing 747 flying from Anchorage to Seoul that had strayed into Soviet airspace. All 269 people on board were killed, including US Congressman Larry McDonald.
The Soviet Union first denied shooting down the plane, then said on September 6 that it had been on a deliberate spy mission.
What the evidence shows
- Navigation error. Analyses of the flight's recorders, released by Russia in 1992, led the International Civil Aviation Organization to conclude in 1993 that the crew had failed to notice that the autopilot was not following the planned route, causing the aircraft to drift off course.
- No evidence of espionage. No evidence has supported the claim that the flight was on a spy mission.
- Shifting story. The Soviet government changed its account several times, from denial to justification, before Russian President Boris Yeltsin released the recorders.
- GPS. After the disaster, the United States announced that its GPS satellite navigation system would be made available for civilian use once completed.
Why it matters
The Soviet account turned a navigation error and the deaths of civilians into a story of espionage, an example of state propaganda after a disaster.
Sources
- International Civil Aviation Organization, Report of the Completion of the Fact-Finding Investigation Regarding the Shooting Down of Korean Air Lines Boeing 747 (Flight KE 007) on 31 August 1983, June 1993.
- The New York Times, "Soviet Says Jet Was on Spy Mission," September 7, 1983.
- Seymour M. Hersh, "The Target Is Destroyed", Random House, 1986.