8 fatalities

Military cargo aircraft shot down near Jalalabad

Jalalabad, AfghanistanLanding (descent or approach)

On October 22, 1987, an Antonov AN-26 operated by Soviet Air Force - Voyenno-vozdushnye sily CCCP was involved in an aviation accident near Jalalabad, Afghanistan during landing or approach. 8 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The aircraft was destroyed by a surface-to-air missile strike during its approach to the destination. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 8 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A)Primary reportUpdated 2026-06-11Data APIEditorial standards

A military transport flight traveling from Kabul was destroyed by a surface-to-air missile during its approach to Jalalabad.

What happened

A military cargo mission operating between Kabul and Jalalabad ended in a fatal crash during the final stages of the flight. As the aircraft was performing its approach to the runway at Jalalabad, it was struck by a Stinger missile. The impact caused the plane to crash a short distance from the airfield, resulting in an immediate post-crash fire.

There were eight fatalities among the occupants of the aircraft. No survivors were reported following the destruction of the airframe.

Findings

Official investigations concluded that the primary reason for the loss of the aircraft was that it was shot down by a Stinger missile during its descent.

Probable cause

The aircraft was destroyed by a surface-to-air missile strike during its approach to the destination.