1993 Sukhumi airliner attacks
Five Tupolev civilian airliners belonging to Transair Georgia and Orbi Georgian Airways were hit during the war in Abkhazia by missiles allegedly fired by separatists in Sukhumi, Abkhazia. Over 150 people died in the attacks.
| Occurrence | |
|---|---|
| Date | 20–23 September 1993 |
| Summary | Shoot down, destroyed on the ground |
| Site | Georgia, Black Sea |
| Total fatalities | 136 |
| Total survivors | 29 |
| First aircraft | |
 The crashed aircraft in Aeroflot livery | |
| Type | Tupolev Tu-134A-3 |
| Operator | Transair Georgia |
| Registration | 65893 |
| Flight origin | Sochi Airport |
| Destination | Sukhumi-Babusheri Airport |
| Passengers | 22 |
| Crew | 5 |
| Fatalities | 27 (all) |
| Survivors | 0 |
| Second aircraft | |
 A Orbi Georgian Airways Tu-154B, similar to the aircraft involved in the accident | |
| Type | Tupolev Tu-154B |
| Operator | Orbi Georgian Airways |
| Registration | 85163 |
| Flight origin | Sukhumi-Babusheri Airport |
| Destination | Novo Alexeyevka Airport |
| Passengers | 120 |
| Crew | 12 |
| Fatalities | 108 |
| Survivors | 24 |
| Third aircraft | |
| Type | Tupolev Tu-134A |
| Operator | Transair Georgia |
| Registration | CCCP-65501 |
| Flight origin | Sukhumi-Babusheri Airport |
| Destination | Novo Alexeyevka Airport |
| Passengers | 24 |
| Crew | 6 |
| Fatalities | 1 |
| Survivors | 29 |
20 September
A Tu-134A was destroyed by Abkhaz small arms fire or missiles; there was no one on board.[1]
21 September
A Tu-134 aircraft flying from Sochi was hit on approach to Sukhumi-Babusheri Airport by a Strela 2 surface-to-air missile. The plane crashed into the Black Sea, killing all five crew members and 22 passengers.[2]
22 September
A Tu-154B aircraft flying from Tbilisi carrying civilians and internal security forces was on approach to Sukhumi-Babusheri Airport when it was struck by a Russian surface-to-air missiles. The plane crash-landed on the airstrip, and the ensuing fire killed 108 of the total 132 passengers and crew members.[3]
23 September
Passengers were boarding a Tu-134 at Sukhumi when it was struck by rockets from an Abkhaz BM-21 Grad rocket launcher. It caught fire and burned out, leaving one crew member dead. The aircraft was due to operate a Sukhumi-Tbilisi service.[4] On the same day a Tu-154 (85359) was reportedly destroyed by mortar or artillery fire.[5]
References
- Criminal description for 65809 at the Aviation Safety Network
- Criminal Occurrence description for September 21 shootdown at the Aviation Safety Network
- Criminal description for 85163 at the Aviation Safety Network
- Criminal description for CCCP-65001 at the Aviation Safety Network
- Criminal description for 85359 at the Aviation Safety Network