Downed sport planes

24 February, 1996.

The Cuban emigrants established a relief organisation in the USA which patrolled with sport planes between Florida and Cuba to direct the ships to the rescue of the Cuban who tried to escape from Cuba by instable rafts. The leader of the organisation is José Basulto who managed several time to violate the Cuban airspace and release provocative publications against Castro and his system above the Capitol.

This day 3 Cessna 337s were on patrol and one of the planes was piloted by Basulto. The planes searched for rescuing people S from the 24th degree of latitude parallel to the Cuban coasts. One MiG-29 and one MiG-23 beeing in readiness were scrambled from airbase San Antonio de Ios Banos against the Cessnas. Earlier the fighters several times flew dangerously close the sport planes trying to chase them away but this time they had permission for fire. The pilot of the MiG-29 shot down one of the Cessnas which was 34 km far from the coasts. Five minutes later an other Cessna were shot down which was 29 km far from the coasts. Both planes were shot down by R-60 MK heat seeker missiles. Basulto climed to the clouds with his plane and although the MiG-29 flew near him he managed to avoid beeing shoot at.

The case explosed huge international indignation because according to hundreds of witnesses the planes didn't violated the cuban airspace because the Cuban territory and the airspace ends 22.4 km far from the coast. If the Cessnas even had violated the airspace the Cubans wouldn't have had the right to shot them down. It is possible that the attack was against José Basulto who is the leading person of the emigrant organisation.