SkyNet - Special Report

Date: September 1st, 1985
Type: 747-230B
Registration: HL-7442
Operator: Korean Air Lines - KAL
Where: Okhotsk Sea
Report No.: Not Available
Report Date: -
Pages: -

This is not an accident investigation report.

The Boeing arrived at Anchorage at 03.30 local time after a 3h10min flight from New York. At 05.00h the aircraft took off again from Runway 32, bound for Seoul. The flight was cleared directly to the Bethel VOR beacon and then on to the Romeo 20 route. However, the aircraft started diverging from it's intended course and passed 12mls North of the Bethel beacon. While approaching the Kamchatka peninsula, 6 MiG-23 fighters were scrambled. Because a US Boeing RC-135 intelligence plane was flying in the area East off Kamchatka, the Soviet defence forces probably thought the B747 radar echo to be the RC-135. KAL 007 left Russian airspace over the Okhostk Sea and the fighters returned to their base. Passing abeam the Nippi beacon (4hrs after take-off), the aircraft was 185mls off course and headed for Sakhalin. Two Soviet Sukhoi Su-15 fighters were scrambled from the Dolinsk-Sokol airbase at 17.42h UTC and 17.54 respectively. At 18.16h UTC flight 007 re-entered Soviet airspace. At 18.22h the Soviet command ordered destruction of the target (for the 2nd time). Two air-to-air missiles were lauched by one of the fighters and struck the Boeing at 18.26h. Cabin pressure was lost and the aircraft suffered control problems, causing the Boeing to spiral down and crash into the sea.

Korean Air Lines CVR Readout

COCKPIT VOICE RECORDER

CAM = Cockpit Area Microphone
CAPT = Captain
CI312 = China Airlines flight 312
PA = Public Adress
RDO = Radio Transmission from KAL007
Tokyo = Tokyo ATC

Time: Source: Contents:

18.19:26 CAM *
18.19:40 CAM *
18.20:02 Tokyo [ Selcal ]
18.20:09 RDO Korean Air zero zero seven Selcal.
18.20:11 Tokyo Korean Air zero zero seven clearance Tokyo ATC clears Korean Air zero zero seven climb and maintain flight level three five zero.
18.20:21 RDO Ah roger Korean Air zero zero seven climb and maintain at three five zero leaving three three zero at this time.
18.20:28 Tokyo Tokyo roger.
18.21:48 - [ Sound: altitude alert ]
18.22:55 CAPT [ Keyed microphone ]
18.22:56 RDO Tokyo radio Korean Air zero zero seven reaching level three five zero.
18.23:00 Tokyo Korean Air zero zero seven Tokyo roger.
18.25:55 CI312 Tokyo radio, Dynasty three one two on five six.
18.26:00 Tokyo Dynasty three one two Tokyo.
18.26:02 - [ Sound of eplosion ]
18.26:03 CI312 Dynasty three one two position Payon one eight two five level three three zero estimate Shemya one nine three five remainder ... remaining one two six decimal zero minus five zero ... one zero diagonal four zero go ahead.
18.26:06 CAM What's happened?
18.26:08 CAM What?
18.26:10 CAM Retard throttles.
18.26:11 CAM Engines normal.
18.26:14 CAM Landing gear.
18.26:15 CAM [ Sound: cabin altitude warning ]
18.26:17 CAM Landing gear [ Noise of possible selection ]
18.26:18 CAM [ Sound: altitude deviation warning ]
18.26:21 CAM [ Sound: autopilot disconnect warning ]
18.26:22 CAM Altitude is going up.
18.26:23 CAM [ Sound: cabin call ]
18.26:24 CAM Altitude is going up.
18.26:25 CAM Speed brake is coming out.
18.26:26 CAM What? What?
18.26:27 CAPT *
18.26:29 CAM Check it out.
18.26:30 PA [ Sound: PA chime for automatic cabin announcment ]
18.26:30 Tokyo Dynasty three one two ... contact Anchorage.
18.26:33 PA [ Sound: cacin call ]
18.26:33 CAM I am not able to drop altitude now unable.
18.26:34 PA Attention emergency descent.
18.26:35 CI312 Thank you out.
18.26:38 PA Attention emergency descent.
18.26:38 CAM Altitude is going up.
18.26:40 CAM This is not working. This is not working.
18.26:41 CAM Manually.
18.26:42 CAM Cannot do manually.
18.26:42 PA Attention emergency descent. {in Japanese}
18.26:43 CAM [ Sound: Autopilot disconnect warning ] Not working manually also.
18.26:45 CAM Engines are normal Sir.
18.26:46 PA Put out your cigarette. This is an emergency descent.
18.26:48 CAM *
18.26:49 PA Put out your cigarette. This is an emergency descent.
18.26:50 CAM Is it power compression?
18.26:51 CAM-3 Is that right?
18.26:52 PA Put out your cigarette. This is an emergency descent. {in Japanese}
18.26:52 CAM-3 ... all of both ... *
18.26:54 CAPT Is that right?
18.26:55 PA Put the mask over your nose and mouth and adjust the headband.
18.26:57 RDO Tokyo radio Korean Air zero zero seven.
18.27:01 PA Put the mask over your nose and mouth and adjust the headband.
18.27:02 Tokyo Korean Air zero zero seven Tokyo.
18.27:04 RDO Roger Korean Air zero zero seven... * ah we are experiencing ...
18.27:08 PA Put the mask over your nose and mouth and adjust the headband. {in Japanese}
18.27:09 CAPT All compression.
18.27:10 RDO Rapid decompression descend to one zero thousand.
18.27:15 PA Attention emergency descend.
18.27:19 PA Attention emergency descend.
18.27:20 CAM-3 Now ... * ... we have to set this.
18.27:21 Tokyo Korean Air zero zero seven * * radio check on one zero zero four eight.
18.27:23 PA Attention emergency descent {in Japanese}.
18.27:23 CAM-3 Speed.
18.27:26 CAM-3 Stand by Stand by Stand by Stand by set.
18.27:27 PA Put out your cigarette. This is an emergency descent.
18.27:30 PA Put out your cigarette. This is an emergency descent.
18.27:33 PA Put out your cigarette. This is an emergency descent. {in Japanese}
18.27:38 PA Put the mask over your nose and mouth and adjust the headband.
18.27:43 PA Put the mask over your nose and mouth and adjust ...
18.27:46 - END OF RECORDING

Time:	Source:	Contents:
18.19:26	CAM	*
18.19:40	CAM	*
18.20:02	Tokyo	[ Selcal ]
18.20:09	RDO	Korean Air zero zero seven Selcal.
18.20:11	Tokyo	Korean Air zero zero seven clearance Tokyo ATC clears Korean Air zero zero seven climb and maintain flight level three five zero.
18.20:21	RDO	Ah roger Korean Air zero zero seven climb and maintain at three five zero leaving three three zero at this time.
18.20:28	Tokyo	Tokyo roger.
18.21:48	-	[ Sound: altitude alert ]
18.22:55	CAPT	[ Keyed microphone ]
18.22:56	RDO	Tokyo radio Korean Air zero zero seven reaching level three five zero.
18.23:00	Tokyo	Korean Air zero zero seven Tokyo roger.
18.25:55	CI312	Tokyo radio, Dynasty three one two on five six.
18.26:00	Tokyo	Dynasty three one two Tokyo.
18.26:02	-	[ Sound of eplosion ]
18.26:03	CI312	Dynasty three one two position Payon one eight two five level three three zero estimate Shemya one nine three five remainder ... remaining one two six decimal zero minus five zero ... one zero diagonal four zero go ahead.
18.26:06	CAM	What's happened?
18.26:08	CAM	What?
18.26:10	CAM	Retard throttles.
18.26:11	CAM	Engines normal.
18.26:14	CAM	Landing gear.
18.26:15	CAM	[ Sound: cabin altitude warning ]
18.26:17	CAM	Landing gear [ Noise of possible selection ]
18.26:18	CAM	[ Sound: altitude deviation warning ]
18.26:21	CAM	[ Sound: autopilot disconnect warning ]
18.26:22	CAM	Altitude is going up.
18.26:23	CAM	[ Sound: cabin call ]
18.26:24	CAM	Altitude is going up.
18.26:25	CAM	Speed brake is coming out.
18.26:26	CAM	What? What?
18.26:27	CAPT	*
18.26:29	CAM	Check it out.
18.26:30	PA	[ Sound: PA chime for automatic cabin announcment ]
18.26:30	Tokyo	Dynasty three one two ... contact Anchorage.
18.26:33	PA	[ Sound: cacin call ]
18.26:33	CAM	I am not able to drop altitude now unable.
18.26:34	PA	Attention emergency descent.
18.26:35	CI312	Thank you out.
18.26:38	PA	Attention emergency descent.
18.26:38	CAM	Altitude is going up.
18.26:40	CAM	This is not working. This is not working.
18.26:41	CAM	Manually.
18.26:42	CAM	Cannot do manually.
18.26:42	PA	Attention emergency descent. {in Japanese}
18.26:43	CAM	[ Sound: Autopilot disconnect warning ] Not working manually also.
18.26:45	CAM	Engines are normal Sir.
18.26:46	PA	Put out your cigarette. This is an emergency descent.
18.26:48	CAM	*
18.26:49	PA	Put out your cigarette. This is an emergency descent.
18.26:50	CAM	Is it power compression?
18.26:51	CAM-3	Is that right?
18.26:52	PA	Put out your cigarette. This is an emergency descent. {in Japanese}
18.26:52	CAM-3	... all of both ... *
18.26:54	CAPT	Is that right?
18.26:55	PA	Put the mask over your nose and mouth and adjust the headband.
18.26:57	RDO	Tokyo radio Korean Air zero zero seven.
18.27:01	PA	Put the mask over your nose and mouth and adjust the headband.
18.27:02	Tokyo	Korean Air zero zero seven Tokyo.
18.27:04	RDO	Roger Korean Air zero zero seven... * ah we are experiencing ...
18.27:08	PA	Put the mask over your nose and mouth and adjust the headband. {in Japanese}
18.27:09	CAPT	All compression.
18.27:10	RDO	Rapid decompression descend to one zero thousand.
18.27:15	PA	Attention emergency descend.
18.27:19	PA	Attention emergency descend.
18.27:20	CAM-3	Now ... * ... we have to set this.
18.27:21	Tokyo	Korean Air zero zero seven * * radio check on one zero zero four eight.
18.27:23	PA	Attention emergency descent {in Japanese}.
18.27:23	CAM-3	Speed.
18.27:26	CAM-3	Stand by Stand by Stand by Stand by set.
18.27:27	PA	Put out your cigarette. This is an emergency descent.
18.27:30	PA	Put out your cigarette. This is an emergency descent.
18.27:33	PA	Put out your cigarette. This is an emergency descent. {in Japanese}
18.27:38	PA	Put the mask over your nose and mouth and adjust the headband.
18.27:43	PA	Put the mask over your nose and mouth and adjust ...
18.27:46	-	END OF RECORDING

Report complied by David Lisk

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