Changes

At the Altitude  of 35,000 feet at which KAL 007 was attacked, it should have taken 2 to 2 1/2 minutes to reach the surface of the sea. This figure is arrived at by both simulator replication and actual occurances of planes that have fallen to their destruction. Yet, it had taken 12 minutes for KAL 007 to have gotten from 35,000 feet to 1,000 feet at which it could no longer be tracked due to the curvature of the earth. On September 1, Secretary of State George Shultz  had stated: "At 1826 hours the Soviet pilot reported that he fired a missile and the target was destroyed. At 1830 hours [or 4 minutes later] the Korean aircraft was reported by radar 5,000 meters [16,424 feet]. At 1838 hours [12 minutes after being hit] the Korean plane disappeared from the radar screen."  

At the Altitude  of 35,000 feet at which KAL 007 was attacked, it should have taken 2 to 2 1/2 minutes to reach the surface of the sea. This figure is arrived at by both simulator replication and actual occurances of planes that have fallen to their destruction. Yet, it had taken 12 minutes for KAL 007 to have gotten from 35,000 feet to 1,000 feet at which it could no longer be tracked due to the curvature of the earth. On September 1, Secretary of State George Shultz  had stated: "At 1826 hours the Soviet pilot reported that he fired a missile and the target was destroyed. At 1830 hours [or 4 minutes later] the Korean aircraft was reported by radar 5,000 meters [16,424 feet]. At 1838 hours [12 minutes after being hit] the Korean plane disappeared from the radar screen."  

'''The mystery of the disparity in time was solved by the handover by the Russian Federation of the Black Box and the real time Russian military communications of the shootdown. KAL 007 had not "plunged" down after the attack. It had gradually descended for 4 minutes after the attack and leveled off at 16,424 feet, and at this altitude continued its flight for almost 5 minutes, ''and only then'' continue a descent until being tracked at 1,000 feet above sea level and 2.6 miles from Moneron Island.'''  

'''The mystery of the disparity in time was solved by the handover by the Russian Federation of the Black Box and the real time Russian military communications of the shootdown. KAL 007 had not "plunged" down after the attack. It had gradually descended for 4 minutes after the attack and leveled off at 16,424 feet (18;30-31 GMT), and at this altitude continued its flight for almost 5 minutes (18:35 GMT), ''and only then'' continue a descent until being tracked at 1,000 feet above sea level and 2.6 miles from Moneron Island.'''  

'''Gen. Kornukov (18:32)''':  Tell the 23 [MiG]... afterburner. Open fire, destroy the target, then land at home base.

'''Gen. Kornukov (18:32)''':  Tell the 23 [MiG]... afterburner. Open fire, destroy the target, then land at home base.