Changes

Until 1996, there had been a controversy concerning the identity of KAL 007 by the Soviets as a civilian passenger plane, rather than a U.S. RC-135 Reconnaissance plane. But that ended with the acknowledgment of Gennadie Osipovich, the SU-15 Interceptor pilot, that he indeed knew he was shooting down a civilian passenger plane and that he did see its navigation lights blinking. '''"From the flashing lights and the configuration of the windows, he recognized the aircraft as a civilian type of plane,....'I saw two rows of windows and knew that this was a Boeing,' he said. 'I knew this was a civilian plane. But for me this meant nothing. It is easy to turn a civilian type of plane into one for military use.'"'''(New York Times, Dec. 9, 1996).

Until 1996, there had been a controversy concerning the identity of KAL 007 by the Soviets as a civilian passenger plane, rather than a U.S. RC-135 Reconnaissance plane. But that ended with the acknowledgment of Gennadie Osipovich, the SU-15 Interceptor pilot, that he indeed knew he was shooting down a civilian passenger plane and that he did see its navigation lights blinking. '''"From the flashing lights and the configuration of the windows, he recognized the aircraft as a civilian type of plane,....'I saw two rows of windows and knew that this was a Boeing,' he said. 'I knew this was a civilian plane. But for me this meant nothing. It is easy to turn a civilian type of plane into one for military use.'"'''(New York Times, Dec. 9, 1996).

At 18:26 GMT two air-to-air missiles from an [[Sukhoi|SU-15]] Flagon piloted by Major Gennadi Osipovich were fired at the jumbo jet<ref>See [http://www.rescue007.org/shootdown.htm Rescue 007:The Shootdown] for the combined U.S. electronic intercept and Soviet military communications of the actual shoot-down with photos of key personnel.</ref>, causing it to spiral down from 35,000 feet and after a 12 minute descent crash into the sea near Moneron Island.

At 18:26 GMT two air-to-air missiles from an [[Sukhoi Su-15|Su-15 Flagon]] piloted by Major Gennadi Osipovich were fired at the jumbo jet<ref>See [http://www.rescue007.org/shootdown.htm Rescue 007:The Shootdown] for the combined U.S. electronic intercept and Soviet military communications of the actual shoot-down with photos of key personnel.</ref>, causing it to spiral down from 35,000 feet and after a 12 minute descent crash into the sea near Moneron Island.

===U.S. Electronic Intercept of Shootdown in Progress===

===U.S. Electronic Intercept of Shootdown in Progress===