Transair Georgia airliner shootdowns

Transair Georgia airliner shootdowns

Occurrence summary
Date	21–22 September 1993
Summary	Shoot down
Site	Georgia, Black Sea
Total injuries (non-fatal)	?
Total fatalities	135
Total survivors	24
First aircraft
The crashed aircraft in Aeroflot livery
Type	Tupolev Tu-134 A-3
Operator	Transair Georgia
Registration	CCCP-65893
Flight origin	Sochi Airport
Destination	Sukhumi-Babusheri Airport
Passengers	22
Crew	5
Fatalities	27 (all)
Survivors	0
Second aircraft
The crashed aircraft in Aeroflot livery
Type	Tupolev Tu-154 B-2
Operator	Transair Georgia
Registration	4L-85163
Flight origin	Tbilisi
Destination	Sukhumi-Babusheri Airport
Passengers	120
Crew	12
Injuries (non-fatal)	?
Fatalities	108
Survivors	24

In September, 1993, three Tupolev civilian airliners belonging to Transair Georgia were hit by missiles allegedly fired by separatists in Sukhumi, Abkhazia, Georgia. A total of 136 perished in the attacks.

21 September

A Tu-134 aircraft flying from Sochi was hit on approach to Sukhumi-Babusheri Airport by a surface-to-air missile. The plane crashed into the Black Sea, killing all five crew members and 22 passengers.^[1]

22 September

Another plane (Tu-154) flying from Tbilisi (and reportedly carrying Georgian soldiers^[2]) was shot down while attempting to land at the Sukhumi airport and crashed on the runway, killing 108 of the 132 people on board.^[3]

23 September

Passengers were boarding an aircraft at Sukhumi when it was struck by mortar or artillery fire from the rebels. It caught fire and burned out, leaving one crew member dead.^[4]

References

Abkhaz–Georgian conflict
Timeline	Abkhazian side	Georgian side
1989 Sukhumi riots 1991 Abkhazian New Union Treaty referendum 1992–1993 War in Abkhazia 1992 Battle of Sukhumi October 1992 Battle of Gagra 1992–1993 Siege of Tkvarcheli July 1993 Kamani massacre September 1993 Transair Georgia airliner shootdowns September 1993 Sukhumi massacre Ethnic cleansing of Georgians 1994 Moscow agreement 1998 War in Abkhazia 2001 Kodori crisis 2006 Kodori crisis 2007 Georgia helicopter incident 2007 Georgia plane downing incident 2007 Bokhundjara incident 2008 Georgian spy plane shootdowns 2008 Khurcha incident 2008 Abkhazia bombings 2008 Achamkhara incident 2008 Russo-Georgian war Battle off the coast of Abkhazia Battle of the Kodori Valley 2008 Post-war events 2009 Russo-Georgian relations	Military forces: Military of Abkhazia Abkhazian Air Force Bagramyan Battalion Confederation of Mountain Peoples of the Caucasus Key leaders: Vladislav Ardzinba Sergei Bagapsh Alexander Ankvab Valeri Bganba Raul Khajimba	Military forces: Georgian Armed Forces Georgian Air Force Coast Guard of Georgia Mkhedrioni White Legion Forest Brothers Key leaders: Zhiuli Shartava † Zviad Gamsakhurdia † Eduard Shevardnadze Mikheil Saakashvili Giorgi Margvelashvili