Fall 1983 Korean Air flight 007 shoot down near Russia

That was Korean Air 007, not Pan Am.

My uncle worked for GE back then and was on the next flight over as part of the investigation. I would have been around 13 at the time and just remember my grandma being awfully worked up about it.

I believe it was a sincere mistake. The USAF had a program whereby they teased Soviet air defenses with a RC-135 (which shares a lineage with the 707, making it appear visually similar to a 747 if approached from below and behind).

The Soviets thought, "We got him, this time!" They cleared the pilot to fire. If what I understand to be correct, the pilot was recorded as saying the Russian equivalent of "Fiddlesticks!" after firing. It is assumed that he saw, at the last minute, the lights of some window shades and, perhaps, the missile hit a plane full of passengers. In Russian, if you instinctively go to say, "F*ck *whatever*", and you caught yourself because you were in front of your mother, or small children or the pastor (or if you knew you were being recorded), you could shift to the phrase that translates to "fiddlesticks."

I know not all conspiracy theorists will agree with that. I understand skepticism as the Chairman of the John Birch Society just happened to be on that plan, on the way to South Korea to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the ceasefire.

(ETA: They intended to shoot down a U.S. military jet, not a jetliner full of civilians - is what I mean about "sincere mistake".)

The Russians also shot down a Korean passenger jet that barely crossed over the line on Russia's northern border.

Byelorussia shot down a harmless hot air balloon from a festival that slipped across the border from Poland.

Those countries are paranoid and dangerous.

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There is a book written that postulates there was more going on between US/Japan jets and Russian jets and the Korean Airline was caught in the mix.

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Incident at Sakhalin: The True Mission of KAL Flight 007

Ive got it. Postulates that KAL was assisting in an intel gathering op and that US and Soviet planes got into a massive dogfight with several aircraft lost on both sides. One of the salvage divers reported seeing ejection seats and chutes at the bottom of the bay. And then mysterious pieces of aircraft fuselage that appeared to be of military origin washed up on beaches in Japan at the same time that KAL pieces washed up.

We were stationed in Japan when it happened. We had to wait to have the news filter in from AFRN. You were at Yokota or Kadena I'm guessing.

But for OP, it doesn't make me nervous at all. If you look at Flight Radar 24 here to understand where aircraft are flying over, right now. I've flown over a couple of the 'stans, Iran, Russia (from Brussels to Tokyo,) with nary a concern. It was weird being routed over Iran to avoid Iraq, only for it to change to the exact opposite a few months later.

The Congressman for the district I lived in at the time was on the plane too. Larry McDonald from Georgia.

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(the pilot had no regrets or remorse about it later in life. He said he did his job, and the KAL crew should've been more careful

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This is where we are at as a World. Human life is less than a Pawn, easier to sacrifice for nothing but that you could. Better be careful out there, the world may be your friend, the people in it...not so much.

he was a very good congressman. Here is a clip from the old cnn crossfire. Back when cable news was good.

was hardcore