On this day in 1983, a commercial aircraft loaded with surveillance equipment "drifted off course" and flew straight towards a Soviet military base, left Soviet air space, and then returned again.
Like all countries that have their air space violated by foreign aircraft, the Soviet responded.
The plane was 350 miles off course when it was shot down - the distance from Chicago to Pittsburgh.
What do you think the US would do it a Soviet aircraft violated US air space, was 350 miles off its course, and refused to respond to communication from fighter jets?
Well, we know what they'd do on 9/11/01, they'd let them fly wild...but that's a different story.
