US navy F14 shoots down Libyan MiG23 Breathtaking encounter (only radio)

The Encounter

On January 4, 1989, two U.S. Navy F-14A Tomcats from VF-32 encountered two Libyan MiG-23 fighters near the Libyan coast. The aircraft were operating from USS John F. Kennedy. The available The available description identifies the F-14s as AC202 and AC207 and describes an engagement lasting several minutes.

Closing on the MiGs

The Libyan MiG-23s had departed Al Bumbaw Airfield near Tobruk and continued toward the American aircraft. The F-14 crews established radar contact and attempted to manage the encounter. The available description says the MiGs continued maneuvering toward the Tomcats and were eventually treated as hostile under the applicable rules of engagement.

Missile Exchange

The engagement involved multiple air-to-air missiles. The first AIM-7 Sparrow launched by the lead F-14 did not destroy its target. The second F-14 then launched another Sparrow, which hit one of the MiG-23s. The remaining MiG-23 was later engaged by the lead F-14 with an AIM-9 Sidewinder.

The Outcome

Both Libyan aircraft were destroyed, and both MiG-23 pilots ejected safely according to the available historical record. The event became known as the 1989 Gulf of Sidra incident. A surviving F-14 from the engagement, BuNo 159610, is documented in historical material as having received credit for one of the MiG-23 kills.

The Radio Perspective

The recording presents the encounter through radio audio. That format captures the rapid progression of the intercept and engagement without relying on a visual reconstruction. The historical record is important for separating what the radio conveys from later identification of aircraft, weapons and the outcome.

Why the Details Matter

This was not a single missile launch followed immediately by a conclusion. The encounter involved detection, maneuvering, attempts to manage the contact, an initial unsuccessful missile shot, a successful Sparrow engagement and a final Sidewinder attack against the remaining MiG-23. Keeping those steps in order makes the radio sequence easier to understand.

Accident Facts

Recorded line: “good chutes.”

Sources

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rx5e3FiEeXo

https://hobbymasterarchive.org/HA5207/