Aeroflot Flight 109

Aeroflot Flight 109
CCCP-42379, the aircraft involved in the accident, in 1958
Accident
Date18 May 1973
SummaryHijacking/bombing
Site97 km (60 mi) west of Chita Airport
Aircraft
Aircraft typeTupolev Tu-104A
OperatorAeroflot, East Siberia Civil Aviation Directorate
RegistrationCCCP-42379
Flight originDomodedovo Airport, Moscow
1st stopoverChelyabinsk Airport, Chelyabinsk
2nd stopoverSeverny Airport, Novosibirsk
Last stopoverIrkutsk Airport, Irkutsk
DestinationKadala Airport, Chita
Occupants81
Passengers72
Crew9
Fatalities81
Survivors0

Aeroflot Flight 109 was a scheduled domestic passenger flight from Moscow to Chita with stopovers in Chelyabinsk, Novosibirsk, and Irkutsk. On the final leg of the route on 18 May 1973 a terrorist hijacked the aircraft, demanding to be flown to China; the terrorist's bomb detonated in flight after he was shot by the air marshal. The aircraft broke-up at altitude, killing all 81 on board.