Tel Aviv (תל אביב-יפו)

The catastrophe involving Tu-154M RA-85693 occurred during the execution, by crew of the Sibir airline, of passenger charter flight # 1812 from Tel Aviv to Novosibirsk. During travel along international flight path B-145 at an altitude of 11,100 m, the aircraft was struck by the 5B14Sh warhead of a 5B28 missile from an S-200B surface-to-air missile system, launched from a position near the town of Feodosia on the Crimean Peninsula, with coordinates 45°03'48"N. Lat. and 36°05'07"E. Long.

The visibility was limited due to fog and the crew continued the approach below the minimum descent altitude (MDA), in violation of the published procedures.

The aircraft sustained a hit or hits which caused loss of pressurization and a fire in the heater compartment. The aircraft broke up in mid-air due to explosion caused by bullets hitting the right wing and probably the left wing together with a projectile or projectiles of large calibre bursting in the rear end of the fuselage. Nevertheless, it was determined that the airplane deviated from its route, violated the State frontier of Bulgaria and penetrated deep into the interior of the Bulgarian airspace without warning. Equipped as it was with perfect air navigation devices, the airplane cannot have been unaware of the fact that it violated the State frontier of Bulgaria. Even after it had been warned, it failed to comply and continued to fly southwards in the direction of the Bulgarian-Greek frontier. The Bulgarian air defense forces acted with some hastiness and did not take all necessary measures to compel the aircraft to surrender and land. The Bulgarian Government considers it necessary to draw attention also to the fact that, for many years, certain parties, failing to respect the sovereignty of the Bulgarian People's Republic, have systematically been violating the Bulgarian frontiers. In recent years many illegal crossings of the Bulgarian frontiers by airplanes 'of unknown nationality' have been recorded. During these illegal flights, subverters equipped with arms, radio stations and other supplies were parachuted into Bulgarian territory. The Government of the Bulgarian People's Republic protested several times to the Secretariat of the United Nations Organization. Unfortunately, however, this produced no results. All these factors created a tense atmosphere which made it necessary to take steps to safeguard the security of the State. It was this tense atmosphere that made possible the unfortunate accident to the Israeli airplane.

Engine failure.

The exact cause of the accident could not be determined with certainty. However, the authorities did not exclude the hypothesis that a bomb was placed on board the aircraft.