Suspected Shoulder-Fired Missile Attacks Against Large Civilian Aircraft (1978-Present)

Date Location Aircraft Operator Outcome
8-Nov-1983 Angola Boeing 737 Angolan Airlines (TAAG) Catastrophic:130 fatalities of 130 people on board
9-Feb-1984 Angola Boeing 737 Angolan Airlines (TAAG) Hull Loss: aircraft overran runway on landing after being struck by a missile at 8,000 ft during climb out. No fatalities with 130 on board.
21-Sep-1984 Afghanistan DC-10 Ariana Afghan Airlines Substantial Damage: Aircraft was damaged by the missile, including damage to two hydraulic systems, but landed without further damage. No fatalities.
10-Oct-1998 Democratic Republic of Congo Boeing 727 Congo Airlines Catastrophic: 41 fatalities of 41 people on board.
28-Nov-2002 Kenya Boeing 757 Arkia Israeli Airline Miss: Two SA-7s were fired at the aircraft during climb out, but missed. No fatalities.
22-Nov-2004 Iraq Airbus A300 DHL Cargo Hull Loss: Aircraft wing struck by missile departing Baghdad. Aircraft suffered a complete loss of hydraulic power and departed the runway during an emergency landing.

Sources: Christopher Bolkcom and Andrew Feickert, Homeland Security: Protecting Airliners from Terrorist Missiles, ([Washington, D.C.]: Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress) Februaray 15, 2005 p. 9-10, citing from Marvin Schaffer, Op cit.; [http://aviation- safety.net/database/index.html] (Visited on 9/30/2003); [http://www.airdisaster.com/cgi_bin/database.cgi] (Visited on 9/30/2003); [http://www.b737.org.uk/accident_reports.htm] (Visited on 9/30/2003); Thomas B. Hunter. "The Proliferation of MANPADS," Jane's Intelligence Review, November 28, 2002.; Federal Aviation Administration, Criminal Acts Against Civil Aviation (1996-2000 Editions); The RAND-MIPT Terrorism Incident Database [http://www.rand.org/psj/randmipt.html], (Visited October 8, 2003).