Investigation Summary
During the Soviet-Afghan War, civil aviation in Afghanistan was frequently targeted by anti-government forces using man-portable air-defense systems (MANPADS). On June 11, 1987, the Antonov An-26 was operating a domestic scheduled flight when it was targeted near the border with Pakistan. The missile strike caused catastrophic damage to the airframe. While the An-26 is a military-derived transport, this specific aircraft was operated by the national carrier for civilian transport. The incident remains one of the deadliest shootdowns of the conflict involving a civilian-operated aircraft.
Final Conclusions
The destruction of the aircraft was caused by a surface-to-air missile strike shortly after departure. While 53 occupants were killed, two passengers were rescued with serious injuries; however, many summary reports omit their survival or list the event as a total loss of life.
Video Analysis
No video analysis linked for this case file yet.
Systems & Failure Modes
MANPADS
Man-portable air-defense systems, such as the FIM-92 Stinger, were supplied to rebel forces and posed a significant threat to all aircraft operating in Afghan airspace during this period.
Interesting Facts
- 01The aircraft was a twin-engine turboprop Antonov An-26.
- 02The shootdown occurred during the height of the Soviet-Afghan War.
- 03The flight was a civilian operation by Bakhtar Afghan Airlines, the domestic subsidiary of Ariana Afghan Airlines.
- 04Most passengers were civilians, including women and children.
- 05The aircraft was reportedly misidentified by rebel forces as a military Ilyushin Il-14.
Location
ACCIDENT SITE · Coordinates taken from the wikidata coordinate.