On this day: Communist Bulgaria downs El Al flight 402, killing all 58 people onboard

On July 27, 1955, El Al Flight 402, a Lockheed Constellation en route from London to Tel Aviv with 51 passengers and seven crew, was shot down by two Bulgarian MiG-15 fighter jets. The aircraft had deviated from its assigned airway and crossed into Bulgarian airspace, leading to the fatal interception.

Bulgarian authorities claimed their pilots fired warning shots and instructed the airliner to land. However, the Constellation was struck twice and broke apart in midair, crashing in flames near the town of Petrich. There were no survivors among the 58 people on board.

Initially, El Al reported an SOS message, gunfire, and a "forced landing." By the following morning, July 28, the grim reality was confirmed in Israel, with The Jerusalem Post headlining the event as "Israel Lodges ‘Vehement Protest’ At Shooting Down of El Al Airliner," emphasizing that "All 58 Passengers, Crew Dead."

The exact reason for the aircraft's deviation from the Amber 10 airway remains disputed. An accident account suggested the crew might have misidentified a radio beacon due to incorrect compass indications, possibly influenced by storm activity. Among the crew was First Officer Pinchas "Pini" Ben-Porat, a notable figure in early Israeli aviation.