Sky Russian roulette

Misidentification in Aircraft Flights: A Historical Perspective

• In 1983, a Korean Airlines jet was shot down by a Russian Air Force Sukhoi fighter plane due to a navigational error, resulting in the deaths of 246 passengers and 23 crew members.

• The incident led to a push for rules regarding conflict risk by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

Cases of Misidentification in Aircraft Flights

• In 1988, an Iran Air plane was shot down by a US Navy warship, USS Vincennes, over the Strait of Hormuz, killing all 290 passengers.

• In 2003, a DHL Cargo plane was shot down by a surface-to-air missile launched by terrorists, resulting in the loss of all hydraulics and fuel.

• In 2019, an IAF Mi-17 helicopter was shot down by a surface-to-air missile during a dogfight between the Indian Air Force and the Pakistan Air Force.

• In 2014, a Malaysia Airlines flight was shot down by Russian-backed forces while flying over eastern Ukraine.

Post 9/11 Procedures and Communication System Failures

• Post 9/11, specific procedures are in place for track deviation due to weather or failure of navigation signals.

• In 2017, an Indian airline flight was shot down by the German Air Force due to a malfunction of the aircraft’s communication system.

• India’s safety regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), covered up the incident, stating it was a malfunction of the aircraft’s communication system.

Conflict Zones and Their Dangers

• More than 500 people have lost their lives due to civil airlines being shot down, especially in conflict zones.

• There are reports of GPS errors or failures in the airspace over Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Myanmar.

• With the rapid expansion of flights and the induction of large numbers of aircraft, there is a lack of experienced pilots in India.

• The use of drones and missiles to shoot down flights makes the skies unsafe for passenger aircraft while flying over conflict regions.

• Skill levels have dropped due to rapid training, leading to degraded monitoring to assess pilot proficiency.