Remember that EP-3 in China…?

…well, here’s an An-24 in the US of A.

I just came across this again on my PC (sorry for the quality but it’s a photo of a photo and I don’t have the original) and I thought some of you might be interested in it.

I was sent it donkey’s years ago and asked if I knew anything about it. A historian from Elmendorf AFB confirmed the basic facts as follows.

At 0400 Zulu (1900 Local Elmendorf Time) on 27 February 1974, a Russian Coke (AN-24), tail number 47195, made an emergency landing for fuel on St. Lawrence Island at the village of Gambell; population 736. The reconnaissance aircraft had previously been intercepted flying within US airspace and had been intercepted by two F-4s from Elmendorf AFB. Unfortunately the aircraft encountered 100 mile an hour head winds which exhausted their fuel supply. Without enough fuel to return home they landed at the small Alaskan village. The state department requested Elmendorf officials to deliver the necessary fuel to the Russian aircraft and allow them to depart on friendly terms. US officials did not impound the aircraft and never entered the Russian aircraft, which was supposedly on a weather reconnaissance mission. US officials admit the weather mission was most likely a cover story and that the true mission was probably eavesdropping and photo reconnaissance, not weather. The Russian crew which consisted of approximately 12 Russians spent the night on their aircraft, awaiting the arrival of the US C-130 bringing the fuel the next day; which arrived around noon local time in Gambell. The Russian crew was very friendly with the villagers and US personnel however refused to discuss or allow their aircraft to be boarded. They maintained the story that they were on a weather reconnaissance flight. The Coke departed at 0423 Zulu (1923 Local) followed soon after by the departure of the C-130 for Elmendorf. The Russian crew made a pass over the runway waving it’s wings as a sign of thanks and respect.