Incident Overview
On July 27, 1953, an aircraft flying into North Korean airspace was shot down by Captain Ralph S. Parr Jr., pilot of a United States Air Force F-86F-30 Sabre. The aircraft went out of control and dove into the ground, crashing in the region of Mao-erh-shan, in the Chinese province of Jilin. All 21 occupants were killed, including high-ranking Soviet Navy officers who were traveling from Port Artur (now Dalian) to Vladivostok.
Context
It was later reported that the pilot of the USAF fighter believed the aircraft was operating for the North Korean Air Force. Later that day, July 27, 1953, the armistice was signed to end the Korean War.
Official Probable Cause
The probable cause, as stated by official findings, was that the aircraft was shot down by the pilot of a USAF fighter.