Background
On an unspecified date, a three-engine aircraft was parked at Qinhuangdao Shanhaiguan Airport, located east of Peking. The aircraft was under the control of the Chinese Air Force. Nine officers from the Chinese Air Force, reportedly intending to desert, stole the aircraft.
Incident
The hijackers took control of the parked aircraft and departed from the airport. The aircraft then proceeded over Mongolia. During the flight, the aircraft crashed near the city of Öndörkhaan. All nine occupants, including prominent political figure Lin Biao, were killed in the crash.
Crash Details
The precise circumstances of the crash remain unclear. Two possible explanations have been suggested: the aircraft may have suffered a loss of control due to fuel exhaustion, or it may have been shot down by a fighter aircraft pilot. No definitive conclusion has been reached regarding which scenario occurred.