WI: Finnair Flight 915 downed in 1987

[James G]

Back in December 1987, two days before Christmas, a Finnair airliner on a Tokyo-to-Helsinki flight was nearly hit by an unidentified missiles while over the Arctic. Information on this was only released in 2014, long after the event and in light of the MH17 shootdown.
219 people were aboard and a missile exploded close to the airliner. It was almost certainly a Soviet weapon, possibly off-course.

Let us say that that airliner is hit. This is a DC-10 in international airspace. Four years before, the Soviets purposely shot down KAL007, now a Finnish airliner is blown up: there would be no survivors.
This isn't going to cause a war but what are the impacts on international relations between Finland & the USSR, Japan & the USSR and the West and the USSR to this?

Info on the incident: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finnair_Flight_915 

[lordroel]

May 16, 2020 16:23:47 GMT James G said:

Back in December 1987, two days before Christmas, a Finnair airliner on a Tokyo-to-Helsinki flight was nearly hit by an unidentified missiles while over the Arctic. Information on this was only released in 2014, long after the event and in light of the MH17 shootdown.
219 people were aboard and a missile exploded close to the airliner. It was almost certainly a Soviet weapon, possibly off-course.

Let us say that that airliner is hit. This is a DC-10 in international airspace. Four years before, the Soviets purposely shot down KAL007, now a Finnish airliner is blown up: there would be no survivors.
This isn't going to cause a war but what are the impacts on international relations between Finland & the USSR, Japan & the USSR and the West and the USSR to this?

Info on the incident: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finnair_Flight_915 

Nothing much happen i guess, the Soviets will first deny it happen and then ignore it.

Ore it will follow the same pattern as what happen with Korean Air Lines Flight 007

[stevep]

May 17, 2020 7:01:31 GMT lordroel said:

May 16, 2020 16:23:47 GMT James G said:

Back in December 1987, two days before Christmas, a Finnair airliner on a Tokyo-to-Helsinki flight was nearly hit by an unidentified missiles while over the Arctic. Information on this was only released in 2014, long after the event and in light of the MH17 shootdown.
219 people were aboard and a missile exploded close to the airliner. It was almost certainly a Soviet weapon, possibly off-course.

Let us say that that airliner is hit. This is a DC-10 in international airspace. Four years before, the Soviets purposely shot down KAL007, now a Finnish airliner is blown up: there would be no survivors.
This isn't going to cause a war but what are the impacts on international relations between Finland & the USSR, Japan & the USSR and the West and the USSR to this?

Info on the incident: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finnair_Flight_915 

Nothing much happen i guess, the Soviets will first deny it happen and then ignore it.

Ore it will follow the same pattern as what happen with Korean Air Lines Flight 007

  Would agree as since its over the Arctic unless there is satellite surveillance, which the US might be reluctant to reveal there would be little evidence of what happened and with Gorbachev in power and seeking both to improve international relations and also reform the USSR I doubt the west would have much interest in rocking the boat for him and possibly having him discredited internally and replaced by an hard liner.

  I suppose there is a possibility that Gorbachev himself might come forward and admit there had been a terrible mistake, trying to use the embarrassment over the issue to argue the importance of reform but he might be more willing to cover it up as well.  Assuming of course he's not lied to by people in the regime anyway.

  Steve

[forcon]

The Soviet course of action will go something like this:

"It wasn't us", then "It was us, but the aircraft was a spy plane," and then "okay, the aircraft wasn't a spy plane but it was in our airspace", before "Well it was us, and it was a civilian airplane, and it wasn't in our airspace, but Western provocations caused this tragedy."

[gillan1220]

I wonder how this will affect the thawing relations between Reagan and Gorbachev. Perhaps Gorbachev would have those responsible punished.

[lordroel]

May 22, 2020 7:12:21 GMT gillan1220 said:

I wonder how this will affect the thawing relations between Reagan and Gorbachev. Perhaps Gorbachev would have those responsible punished.

Doubt it, it did not happen with the OTL Korean shootdown.

[James G]

May 22, 2020 8:18:04 GMT lordroel said:

May 22, 2020 7:12:21 GMT gillan1220 said:

I wonder how this will affect the thawing relations between Reagan and Gorbachev. Perhaps Gorbachev would have those responsible punished.

Doubt it, it did not happen with the OTL Korean shootdown.

I think gillan1220 is correct. Four years later than KAL 007, Gorby is in power and engaged in relations with Reagan.

[lordroel]

May 22, 2020 9:41:30 GMT James G said:

May 22, 2020 8:18:04 GMT lordroel said:

Doubt it, it did not happen with the OTL Korean shootdown.

I think gillan1220 is correct. Four years later than KAL 007, Gorby is in power and engaged in relations with Reagan.

So a UN Security Council resolution that is veto by the Soviet Union.

[gillan1220]

The last thing Gorby would want is another obstacle to his glastnost and perestroika.

[lordroel]

May 22, 2020 14:02:07 GMT gillan1220 said:

The last thing Gorby would want is another obstacle to his glastnost and perestroika.

So would he have a public but Soviet trail for who ever shot down the airliner.

[gillan1220]

May 22, 2020 14:03:32 GMT lordroel said:

May 22, 2020 14:02:07 GMT gillan1220 said:

The last thing Gorby would want is another obstacle to his glastnost and perestroika.

So would he have a public but Soviet trail for who ever shot down the airliner.

Very much.