List of Soviet aircraft losses in Afghanistan

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The following is a partial and unofficial list of helicopter and airplane crashes that occurred during the Afghan-Soviet War of 1979-89. In total, at least 333 helicopters and 118 jets crashed during the war.[1]

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

The list is drawn from a Russian language aviation site.

Contents

[edit] 1979

  • 25 December 1979- An Il-76 heavy transport plane crashed into a mountain near the village of Kanzak (Northeast of Kabul) after being damaged by anti-aircraft artillery fire. Its pilot, 9-11 other crew members, 37 paratroopers and nine troops from unknown units were killed upon impact, leaving no survivors. Two vehicles in cargo, including a fuel truck, were also destroyed.[2]

[edit] 1980

  • 7 February 1980- An-12 transport aircraft crashed on the outskirts of Kabul, killing its pilot.
  • 13 February 1980- An Mi-24 attack helicopter was badly damaged by ground fire, and crashed in a botched emergency landing.
  • 23 February 1980- An Mi-8TV Border guard helicopter was shot down, killing one passenger.
  • 7 March 1980- An unidentified helicopter crashed due to a technical malfunction, killing one crew member.
  • 10 March 1980- An Mi-8 transport helicopter crashed due to technical difficulties near the village of Kochek Qizil (Southwest of Mazari Sharif), killing two crew members.
  • 23 March 1980- Su-17 fighter-bomber crashed due to either technical problems or poor weather conditions, killing its pilot.
  • 9 April 1980- An Mi-8T transport helicopter, crashed due to either technical problems or poor weather conditions, killing two crew members.
  • 11 April 1980- An Mi-8 transport helicopter was shot down near the remote village of Shindand, killing two crew members.
  • 12 June 1980- An Mi-8 transport helicopter was shot down, killing one crew member.
  • 20 July 1980- An Mi-10 heavy transport helicopter was shot down, killing three crew members.
  • 23 July 1980- An Mi-24 assault helicopter was shot down, killing two crew members.
  • 23 July 1980- An Mi-8 transport helicopter was shot down, killing one crew member.
  • 6 September 1980- An unidentified aircraft crashed due to either technical problems or bad weather, killing one crew member.

[edit] 1981

  • 17 April 1981- An Mi-24 assault helicopter was shot down, killing one crew member.
  • 24 July 1981- An Mi-8 transport helicopter was shot down, killing four crew members.
  • 5 September 1981- An Mi-8T transport helicopter was shot down, killing four crew members.
  • 10 October 1981- An Mi-8MT transport helicopter was shot down, killing one crew member.
  • 17 October 1981- An Mi-8T Board Guard helicopter was shot down, killing one crew member.
  • 28 October 1981- An Mi-24 assault helicopter was shot down, killing three crew members.
  • 13 November 1981- An Mi-8 transport helicopter was shot down, killing one crew member.
  • 18 November 1981- An Mi-8MT transport helicopter was shot down, killing two crew members.

[edit] 1982

  • 10 March 1982- An unidentified aircraft crashed, killing one crew member.
  • 15 April 1982- An unidentified aircraft was shot down, killing one crew member.
  • 17 May 1982- An unidentified aircraft crashed, killing one crew member.
  • 27 May 1982- An Mi-24 attack helicopter was shot down, killing one crew member.
  • 13 June 1982- An Mi-8 transport helicopter was shot down near the village of Taghaz (245 km to the Southwest of Kandahar), killing two crew members.
  • 10 July 1982- An unidentified aircraft was shot down, killing one crew member.
  • 23 August 1982- An Mi-6 heavy transport helicopter was shot down, killing one crew member.
  • 7 October 1982- An unidentified aircraft crashed, killing one crew member.
  • 12 October 1982- An unidentified helicopter was shot down, killing one crew member.
  • 24 October 1982- An unidentified aircraft crashed, killing one crew member.
  • 30 October 1982- An unidentified helicopter was shot down, killing three crew members.

[edit] 1983

  • 4 January 1983- An unidentified helicopter was shot down near the village of Kholm (East of Mazari Sharif), killing one crew member.
  • 15 February 1983- An An-12 was shot down while on approach to Jalalabad. The five crew members were killed.[3]
  • 22 February 1983- An Mi-6 heavy transport helicopter was shot down, killing one crew member.
  • 5 June 1983- An Mi-24 attack helicopter was shot down, killing two crew members.
  • 19 July 1983- An Mi-8 transport helicopter was shot down, killing one crew member.
  • 24 July 1983- An Mi-8 transport helicopter was shot down near Jalalabad, killing two crew members.
  • 7 August 1983- An unidentified helicopter was shot down, killing one crew member.
  • 9 September 1983- An Mi-8 transport helicopter was shot down 120 km South of Faizabad, killing one crew member.
  • 16 September 1983- An Antonov An-12 transport plane was shot down, killing four crew members.
  • 3 October 1983- An unidentified aircraft crashed, killing one crew member.
  • 18 October 1983- An Mi-8 transport helicopter was shot down near the Kajaki reservoir (Helmand province), killing two crew members.
  • 25 October 1983- An unidentified aircraft crashed, killing one crew member.
  • 15 November 1983- An Mi-6 heavy transport missed the Soviet landing strip near the town of Kunduz and crashed due to a faulty tail rotor. Two crew members were killed.

[edit] 1984

  • 16 January 1984- An Su-25 strike jet was shot down, killing its pilot.
  • 2 April 1984- An unidentified helicopter crashed either due to bad weather or a technical failure. One crew member was killed.
  • 2 July 1984- An Mi-8 transport helicopter was shot down, killing one crew member.
  • 5 July 1984- An Mi-8 transport helicopter was shot down, killing one crew member.
  • 6 July 1984- An Mi-6 heavy transport helicopter was shot down on approach to its base (while returning from a mission). All three crew members were killed. It is possible that this helicopter was captured by Afghan guerrillas.
  • 14 July 1984- An unidentified helicopter crashed. One crew member was killed.
  • 6 August 1984- An unidentified helicopter was shot down. One crew member was killed.
  • 27 August 1984- An unidentified helicopter was shot down. One crew member was killed.
  • 19 September 1984- An Mi-8 transport helicopter was shot down, killing all three crew members in addition to a unit of paratroopers.
  • 23 September 1984- An unidentified helicopter crashed. One crew member was killed.
  • 16 October 1984- An Mi-8 transport helicopter was shot down while landing a group of soldiers near the town of Baghlan. All three crew members and four disembarking troops were killed.
  • 18 October 1984- An Su-25 strike jet was shot down, killing its pilot.
  • 18 October 1984- An unidentified helicopter (probably an Mi-24) was shot down, killing two crew members.
  • 27 October 1984- An Il-76 heavy transport plane was shot down during landing, 20km to the South East of Kabul. Five were killed. [4]
  • 28 October 1984- An Mi-24 assault helicopter was shot down in the Panshir Valley, killing two crew members.

[edit] 1985

  • 22 January 1985- An An-26 transport plane was shot down, killing one.
  • 29 January 1985- An Mi-8 transport helicopter was shot down shortly after taking off from Kandahar, en route to Kabul, killing one crew member.
  • 13 February 1985- An Su-25 strike jet was shot down, killing its pilot.
  • 11 March 1985- An An-30 transport plane was struck in the left engine by ground fire, causing a fire that began to spread. All non-essential crew members bailed out, while the Pilot and Co-Pilot remained, hoping to land the aircraft at Bagram Airport (near Kabul). The aircraft crashed 25 km from Kabul after the fire destroyed the aileron controls, and both were killed.
  • 14 March 1985- An Mi-6 heavy transport helicopter collided with a VVS reconnaissance plane, killing three.
  • 20 March 1985- An Mi-8 transport helicopter was shot down while transporting troops from Ghazni to Baraki(?). All five aboard were killed.
  • 27 April 1985- An Mi-8 transport helicopter was shot down 7 km away from its destination of Lashkargah while transporting troops. Three were killed.
  • 18 May 1985- An Mi-6 heavy transport helicopter was shot down near the remote village of Bakarak, killing one.
  • 21 June 1985- A MiG-23 fighter jet was shot down, killing its pilot.
  • 21 June 1985- An Mi-8 transport helicopter was shot down, killing one.
  • 27 June 1985- An Mi-8 transport helicopter shot down, possibly with several troops on board. All those aboard were killed.
  • 10 July 1985- An Mi-24 attack helicopter was shot down, killing one.
  • 11 July 1985- An unidentified ‘special missions’ aircraft was shot down, killing five.
  • 25 July 1985- An unidentified aircraft crashed, killing one.
  • 17 September 1985- An Mi-6 heavy transport helicopter was attacked on the ground, killing one.
  • 12 October 1985- An Mi-6 heavy transport helicopter was shot down 23km South of Kabul, killing two.
  • 13 October 1985- An unidentified aircraft crashed, killing one.
  • 18 October 1985- An unidentified aircraft was shot down, killing one.
  • 25 October 1985- An Mi-8 transport helicopter was shot down 20km to the Northwest of Kunduz, killing nine crew members and paratroopers.
  • 1 November 1985- An Mi-8 transport helicopter was shot down, killing one.
  • 15 November 1985- An unidentified helicopter was shot down, killing one.
  • 24 November 1985- An unidentified aircraft crashed, killing one.
  • 6 December 1985- An Mi-8 transport helicopter shot down while transporting troops, killing seven.

[edit] 1986

  • 18 January 1986- An unidentified aircraft crashed, killing one.
  • 19 January 1986- An Mi-8 transport helicopter was shot down, killing all crew members and paratroopers aboard.
  • 1 February 1986- An Mi-24 attack helicopter was shot down West of Maymaneh, killing one.
  • 21 April 1986- An Mi-8 transport helicopter was shot down, killing two.
  • 31 May 1986- An Mi-24 attack helicopter was shot down over Kabul airbase, killing two instantly while another died of his wounds six days later.
  • 31 July 1986- Two Mi-8 medevac helicopters collided near Pagman, killing some of the injured passengers.
  • 16 October 1986- An Mi-8 transport helicopter was shot down, killing two.
  • 19 October 1986- An Mi-24 attack helicopter was shot down, killing one.
  • 29 November 1986- An An-12 transport plane was shot down while leaving Kabul Airbase en route to Jalalabad, transporting a contingent of newly-arrived Russian troops. All crew members (4-5) and all 27 passengers were killed.
  • 26 December 1986- An An-26RT transport plane was shot down. All crew members bailed out, except the mechanic, who was killed either by the missile or in the crash.

[edit] 1987

  • 12 January 1987- An unidentified aircraft crashed, killing one.
  • 13 January 1987- An unidentified aircraft crashed, killing one.
  • 21 January 1987- An unidentified aircraft crashed due to either technical problems or bad weather, killing one.
  • 5 February 1987- An unidentified aircraft was shot down, killing one.
  • 27 February 1987- An unidentified aircraft crashed, killing one.
  • 4 March 1987- A pair of two Su-22s were shot down. The two pilots ejected but were later killed on the ground.
  • 4 March 1987- Two Mi-8 transport helicopters were shot down while searching for the pilots from the Su22s that had been downed earlier in the day. Both crews were killed. (Two escorting Mi-24s had been delayed)
  • 23 March 1987- An Mi-6 heavy transport helicopter was shot down, killing two.
  • 15 April 1987- An unidentified aircraft crashed, killing one.
  • 21 April 1987- All crew members and 18 paratroopers when an Mi-8 transport helicopter was shot down 120 km north of Kandahar.
  • 7 May 1987- Mi-8 transport helicopter crashed due to technical reasons or bad weather, killing four.
  • 18 May 1987- An Mi-24 attack helicopter was shot down, killing two.
  • 5 June 1987- An Mi-8 Medevac helicopter carrying one wounded individual was shot down North of Kandahar, killing one.
  • 24 June 1987- An unidentified aircraft crashed, killing one.
  • 12 July 1987- An-12 delivering ammunition was hit by ground fire while landing at Kandahar airbase, killing four crew members and one person on the ground.
  • 20 July 1987- An Su-22 was shot down near Gazni, killing one.
  • 1 August 1987- An unidentified aircraft crashed, killing one.
  • 13 September 1987- An-26 transport plane was shot down, killing one.
  • 13 September 1987- An Su-22 strike jet was shot down, killing one.
  • 29 September 1987- An unidentified helicopter was shot down near Kabul, killing one.
  • 21 October 1987- An An-12 collided with an unidentified helicopter over Kabul Airbase due to the ground controller’s error in clearing the helicopter for landing. All involved were killed, including 18 passengers aboard the An-12 who were en-route to Tashkent.
  • 22 October 1987- An An-26 transport plane was shot down, killing two.
  • 30 October 1987- An Mi-24 attack helicopter was shot down, killing two.
  • 23 December 1987- An Mi-8 transport helicopter was shot down, killing one.

[edit] 1988

  • 17 January 1988- An Mi-8 transport helicopter was shot down, killing four.
  • 6 February 1988- An Mi-8 transport helicopter on a search and rescue mission was shot down with several rescued personnel aboard, killing two and wounding 6.
  • 16 February 1988- An Mi-24 attack helicopter was shot down, killing one.
  • 26 February 1988- An Mi-24 attack helicopter was shot down, killing one.
  • 29 February 1988- An Mi-24 attack helicopter shot down 10km Southeast of Bagram, killing one.
  • 20 April 1988- An unidentified aircraft crashed, killing one.
  • 25 May 1988- An unidentified aircraft crashed, killing one.
  • 18 July 1988- An unidentified helicopter (possibly an Mi-8) was shot down, killing one.
  • 21 August 1988- An Mi-24 attack helicopter shot down, killing its two-member crew.
  • 4 September 1988- An Mi-8 transport helicopter was shot down, killing one.
  • 30 September 1988- An Mi-24 attack helicopter was shot down, killing two.
  • 1 October 1988- An Mi-8 transport was helicopter shot down, killing one.

[edit] 1989

  • 7 January 1989- An Su-25 strike jet was shot down, killing its pilot.
  • 19 January 1989- An Mi-8 transport helicopter was shot down, killing five.
  • 2 February 1989- An Mi-24 assault helicopter was shot down, killing both crew members.

[edit] References

  1. ^ The Soviet War in Afghanistan: History and Harbinger of Future War?
  2. ^ Aviation Safety Network
  3. ^ Aviation Safety Network
  4. ^ Aviation Safety Network

[edit] Summary by Aircraft type

[edit] Source and References