What happened
On a scheduled flight from Paris-Orly Airport to Seoul via Anchorage, the Boeing 707 operating as KE902 experienced a significant navigational deviation. After passing the North Magnetic Pole while approaching Ellesmere Island, Canada, the aircraft performed a 150-degree right turn instead of maintaining its course toward Northern Canada and Alaska. This maneuver directed the plane southeast across the Barents Sea and into Soviet territory. Approximately three hours and 2,400 km after the initial turn, the aircraft reached the Soviet coastline.
A Soviet Air Force Sukhoi SU-15TM intercepted the airliner and issued commands to land. The crew failed to respond to several communications from the intercepting pilot. When instructions were given to shoot down the aircraft, an air-to-air missile struck the plane, severing four meters of the left wing and puncturing the fuselage. This impact resulted in rapid decompression and caused one of the four engines to malfunction.
Following the strike, the crew began a rapid descent from 30,000 feet. The aircraft eventually performed an emergency landing on the frozen Korpijärvi Lake near Kem in the Republic of Karelia. The incident resulted in two fatalities and 13 injuries. While the pilots and navigator were initially detained by authorities, they were released on April 29.
Findings
Investigations concluded that the aircraft's deviation from its intended flight path occurred immediately after passing the North Magnetic Pole. This proximity to the pole caused severe interference with the aircraft's magnetic compass-based navigation systems. Soviet officials attributed the unauthorized entry into their airspace to a navigational error by the flight crew.