1989 Belgian MiG-23 crash
Encyclopedia
The 1989 Belgian MiG-23 crash involved the crash of an unmanned Soviet
MiG-23M "Flogger-B"
into a house in Kortrijk
, Belgium
, on 4 July 1989, killing an 18-year-old man.
. During takeoff, the afterburner
failed and the engine began losing power. At an altitude of 150 meters and descending, the pilot assumed he had a complete engine failure and ejected without incident. However, the engine had not failed completely, and the aircraft remained airborne, flying on autopilot
in a westerly direction.
The unmanned aircraft left Polish airspace, crossing into the airspace of East Germany and then West Germany
, where it was intercepted by a pair of U.S. Air Force F-15s
of the 32nd TFS, Soesterberg, the Netherlands. As the MiG-23 crossed into Dutch airspace the F15 pilots reported the plane having no pilot "There is definitely no pilot in the plane" and continued the intercept into Belgian
airspace. The escorting F-15's were instructed to down the plane over the North Sea. As the Mig ran out of fuel (engine stopped), it started a slow turn to the south. The French Air Force put armed Mirage fighters on readiness in case the MiG approached French territory. However, after flying over 560 miles the Mig crashed into a house, killing a Belgian teenager.
expressed concern that "from the time the MiG-23 was first picked up on NATO radar to the time it crashed more than an hour later, no word of warning came from the Soviet side," and that "there was also a notable slowness on the part of the Soviets in disclosing whether the jet was carrying nuclear or toxic weapons."
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
MiG-23M "Flogger-B"
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 is a variable-geometry fighter aircraft, designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich design bureau in the Soviet Union. It is considered to belong to the Soviet third generation jet fighter category, along with similarly aged Soviet fighters such as the MiG-25 "Foxbat"...
into a house in Kortrijk
Kortrijk
Kortrijk ; , ; ) is a Belgian city and municipality located in the Flemish province West Flanders...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, on 4 July 1989, killing an 18-year-old man.
Overview
The incident started as a routine training flight. Colonel Nicolai Skuridin, the pilot, departed Soviet occupied Bagicz Airbase near Kołobrzeg, PolandPoland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. During takeoff, the afterburner
AfterBurner
The AfterBurner is a lighting solution for the Game Boy Advance system that was created by Triton-Labs.Originally, portablemonopoly.net was a website created to petition Nintendo to put some kind of light in their Game Boy Advance system...
failed and the engine began losing power. At an altitude of 150 meters and descending, the pilot assumed he had a complete engine failure and ejected without incident. However, the engine had not failed completely, and the aircraft remained airborne, flying on autopilot
Autopilot
An autopilot is a mechanical, electrical, or hydraulic system used to guide a vehicle without assistance from a human being. An autopilot can refer specifically to aircraft, self-steering gear for boats, or auto guidance of space craft and missiles...
in a westerly direction.
The unmanned aircraft left Polish airspace, crossing into the airspace of East Germany and then West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
, where it was intercepted by a pair of U.S. Air Force F-15s
F-15 Eagle
The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is a twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter designed by McDonnell Douglas to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat. It is considered among the most successful modern fighters with over 100 aerial combat victories with no losses in dogfights...
of the 32nd TFS, Soesterberg, the Netherlands. As the MiG-23 crossed into Dutch airspace the F15 pilots reported the plane having no pilot "There is definitely no pilot in the plane" and continued the intercept into Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
airspace. The escorting F-15's were instructed to down the plane over the North Sea. As the Mig ran out of fuel (engine stopped), it started a slow turn to the south. The French Air Force put armed Mirage fighters on readiness in case the MiG approached French territory. However, after flying over 560 miles the Mig crashed into a house, killing a Belgian teenager.
Political response
The Belgian government made formal protest to the Soviet Union regarding the lack of notification as to the danger the aircraft posed to the civilian population. Belgian Foreign Minister Mark EyskensMark Eyskens
Marc Maria Frans, Viscount Eyskens , known as Mark Eyskens , is a Belgian economist and politician in the Christian People's Party , now called Christian Democratic and Flemish, and briefly served as Prime Minister of Belgium in 1981.-Background:He was born in Leuven, the son of Gaston Eyskens, and...
expressed concern that "from the time the MiG-23 was first picked up on NATO radar to the time it crashed more than an hour later, no word of warning came from the Soviet side," and that "there was also a notable slowness on the part of the Soviets in disclosing whether the jet was carrying nuclear or toxic weapons."