What happened
On 26 July, an aircraft departed London for Tel Aviv, scheduled to transit through Paris and Vienna. The flight continued its journey on 27 July, departing Vienna at 02:53 hours with a planned arrival over Belgrade at approximately 04:36 hours. While cruising at roughly 18,000 feet near the border between Yugoslavia and Bulgaria, the aircraft was intercepted by two Bulgarian fighter jets.
Following two separate attacks by the fighters, the aircraft lost structural integrity and broke apart at an altitude of about 2,000 feet. The wreckage fell to the ground in flames near the junction of the Strumica and Strumon rivers, located approximately 3.5 km southeast of the border between Bulgaria and Greece. The accident resulted in 58 fatalities, with no survivors among the occupants.
Findings
The investigation concluded that the aircraft suffered hits that led to a loss of cabin pressure and ignited a fire within the heater compartment. Specifically, projectiles struck the right wing and likely the left wing, while large-caliber rounds caused an explosion in the rear section of the fuselage, leading to the mid-air breakup.
Official findings determined that the aircraft deviated from its assigned flight path, entering Bulgarian airspace deeply without prior notification. Despite being equipped with functional navigation equipment, the crew failed to respond to warnings and continued a southward course toward the Greek border. While the aircraft's unauthorized entry was a primary factor, investigators also noted that the Bulgarian air defense forces acted with undue haste and did not exhaust all methods to force the plane to land. The incident occurred within a period of heightened regional tension regarding unauthorized aerial incursions into Bulgarian territory.