Incident Overview
On 14 April 1994, during Operation Provide Comfort (OPC) in northern Iraq, a friendly fire incident occurred involving United States Air Force (USAF) aircraft. Two USAF F-15 fighter jets, operating under the direction of a USAF airborne warning and control system (AWACS) aircraft, misidentified two U.S. Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters as Iraqi Mil Mi-24 "Hind" helicopters. The F-15 pilots engaged and destroyed both helicopters.
Casualties and Affected Personnel
All 26 military and civilian personnel aboard the two Black Hawk helicopters were killed. The victims included individuals from the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Turkey, and the Kurdish community. The incident is sometimes referred to as the Black Hawk Incident.
Context
The shootdown occurred within the framework of Operation Provide Comfort, a multinational effort to protect Kurds in northern Iraq after the 1991 Gulf War. The presence of various nationalities on the helicopters reflected the coalition nature of the operation.
Investigation Findings
A subsequent investigation identified that the F-15 pilots failed to correctly identify the U.S. Army helicopters, mistaking them for enemy Hinds. No other causes or contributing factors were specified in the source material.