List of aviation shootdowns and accidents during the Syrian Civil War

In September 2014, the Syrian Revolution General Commission (SRGC) claimed that since the conflict began the Syrian military lost 37 helicopters and 24 jets. Of these, 40 aircraft were shot down and the other 21 were destroyed in opposition attacks on military airports. According to Strategy Page, by mid 2013, nearly a hundred fixed wing and over a hundred helicopters were lost. Some 400 aircrew was killed, captured, or missing. Public observation via Google Earth of Syrian airfields shows a decreasing number of air-frames parked in the open in contrast to the increasing number of recorded air sorties. The hubs of Syrian Air Force basing activity during the Syrian Civil War have been the airfields at Aleppo, Damascus, Latakia and Hama, however it is not possible to independently verify these information.

Aircraft losses

 * The first loss of a fixed-wing aircraft was recorded on 13 August 2012 when a MiG-23 was filmed catching fire in flight, while automatic gunfire was heard on the background while the fighter aircraft was flying at low altitude in a level flight. The pilot ejected, and was captured and interrogated by the rebels on video.
 * The first video recorded combat loss of a helicopter came on 27 August 2012: a video recorded a burning Mi-8 or Mi-17 helicopter spiraling to the ground over Damascus, possibly hit by a ZU-23-2 antiaircraft gun
 * The first loss of a MiG-21 was recorded on 30 August 2012. Its registration was 2271. It was likely downed on take off or landing at Abu Dhuhur air base, under siege by rebels, by heavy machine gun fire.
 * A few days later a second MiG-21, registered 2280, was shot down and recorded on video on 4 September 2012. It was likely downed on take off or landing at Abu Dhuhur air base, under siege by rebels, by KPV 14.5 mm machine gun fire.
 * The first recorded loss of an L-39ZA Albatros, possibly by 23 milimeter anti-aircraft fire, occurred on 13 October 2012 near Khan al-Asal with the crew, Lt. Col. Haitham Ismail Zhuneida and Lt. Mohammed Salman Mohammed, being killed as they ejected at low altitude.
 * On 15 October, another L-39 Albatros was downed near al-Taana in the east of Aleppo by rebel ground fire. Both pilots, Cap. Roni Ibrahim and Maj. Moti Shaaban Abbas, ejected and were captured. An Al Jazeera reporter, which reported the aircraft as a "MiG", managed to interview Ibrahim, while Abbas is said to have died in captivity. Ibrahim showed signs of having brawled with his captors and denied previous knowledge of Syrian civilians being targeted by airstrikes.
 * On 17 October 2012, a Mi-8 helicopter was shot down over Damascus, dramatically exploding in midair. It was likely hit by heavy machine gun fire with some of its improvised aerial barrier bombs exploding.
 * On 28 November 2012, a video showing the crash site of a large jet fighter was posted with rebels claiming they shot it down with an 9K310 Igla-1 MANPADS. The heavily burned out aircraft wreck has been identified as a Su-24MK2, being the first downed Syrian Air Force Su-24
 * The first confirmed loss of a Sukhoi Su-22 was recorded on 14 February 2013, when rebel forces shot it down using a MANPADS launcher.
 * One Mil Mi-17 helicopter was lost in an air-to-air accident when it hit the tail of a Syrian passenger plane on 28 February 2013, with the airliner landing safely at Damascus airport.
 * On 31 July 2013, a video surfaced showing the successful missile launch for a rebel operated 9K33 Osa system with a possible hit on a Syrian helicopter.
 * Another Mil Mi-17 helicopter was shot down by a Turkish Air Force F-16 on 16 September 2013 in Latakia province near Turkish boder. The pilot is believed to have been captured and beheaded by Al Qaeda-linked insurgents.
 * On 16 January 2014, the insurgents claim shot down a helicopter with a surface-to-air missile was recorded with a video showing a 9K33 Osa SAM system downing a Syrian Mi-8 or Mi-17 helicopter. The heavy damage on the plunging helicopter appeared to confirm the use of a bigger missile to hit the helicopter compared to the damage caused by MANPADS, AAA or small arms fire. Also, a video filming the TV screen inside the Osa vehicle matches another video taken outside. Another video of a different engagement surfaced on 18 January 2014, this time missing the intended target.
 * On 23 March 2014, one MiG-23 was shot down by a Turkish Air Force F-16, when it allegedly entered Turkish air space during a ground attack mission against Al Qaeda-linked insurgents. The pilot ejected and managed to return to a Syrian Army checkpoint and denies violating Turkish air space. The plane crashed one kilometer inside the Syrian side


 * In August 2014 after the capture of al-Tabqa Air Force base in Raqqa, the Islamic State displayed three captured combat planes in a propaganda video.


 * On 18 September the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant claimed for the first time that it shot down a war plane conducting an airstrike on Raqqa city.


 * On 23 September 2014, one Su-24 was shot down by an Israeli Air Force MIM-104 Patriot Air Defense system, when it allegedly crossed the Syrian-Israeli ceasefire line during a ground attack mission against Al Qaeda insurgents.
 * 2015 Syrian Air Force An-26 crash: On 18 January 2015 al-Nusra Front claimed the shooting down of a Syrian Air Force Antonov An-26 transport plane attempting to land at the besieged Abu al-Duhur military airport, killing all 35 soldiers on board.
 * On 30 January 2015, ISIS claimed it shot down a Syrian Air Force fighter in Bir Qassab area of Damascus.
 * On 22 March 2015, a Syrian Navy Mil Mi-14 helicopter crashed or was downed over opposition held rural Idlib. At least 1 crew member was summarily executed on the spot, 4 were taken captive, and 1 remains unaccounted for.
 * On 24 April 2015, ISIS downed a Syrian MiG-23ML flying east of Khalkhalah air base in Sweida province. Pro - ISIS Twitter accounts claimed jihadist groups had captured the pilot, but later evidence suggested the pilot, Hassan Mohamed Mahmoud, shot himself to avoid capture. State Television say the aircraft crashed due to "technical problems" on a training exercise and that the search for the pilot was ongoing.
 * On 16 May 2015, two Turkish F-16s shot down a Syrian Mohajer 4 UAV firing two AIM-9 missiles after it trespassed into Turkish airspace for 5 minutes. Witnesses on the ground reported seeing the target after being hit by the chasing F-16s breaking in three before crashing on the Syrian side of the border. Initially Turkey claimed it was an helicopter, but later confirmed it was an UAV.
 * During the Tadmur offensive (2015), ISIL captured Tadmur airbase. Two Mi-17s were found destroyed on the runway, and analysts suspect many MiGs are in storage in the bases 16 Hardened Aircraft Shelters.
 * On 24 May 2015, a Syrian military Mi-17 helicopter crashed near the Kweyris air base in Aleppo, which ISIL has besieged for over a year. All the crew composed of three people died. While the government claims it crashed due to technical failure, ISIL sources claim it was shot down.
 * On 11 June 2015, a Syrian Air Force Su-24 exploded in midair and crashed in the eastern countryside of Dara'a near Nahta village. While the Southern Front of the Free Syrian Army brigade Yarmouk Army claimed they shot it down when passing over the Brigade 52 base with 23mm AA fire, the damage suggests a midair weapon explosion as the cause of the crash. The Syrian Media Organisation captured footage of the Su-24 going down.


 * On 3 August 2015, a Syrian Air Force MiG-21bis, departed from Hama Air Force base, crashed into a marketplace in the north-western town of Ariha during a bombing run when the pilot could not pull up after bomb release. The pilot died in the crash and several others were killed on the ground as a result of the air attack and plane crash.


 * On 15 September 2015, a Syrian Mi-17 helicopter was shot down when it was hit by a MANPADS shortly after take off. A first shot strayed away, while a second missile shot the aircraft down killing the crew.


 * On 17 September 2015, a Syrian Air Force Sukhoi Su-22M4 was allegedly shot down over the Jazal Oil Field area.


 * On 8 October 2015, a Syrian helicopter was downed near the village of Kafr Nabouda in northern Hama.


 * On 4 November 2015, a Syrian MiG-23, was downed by AA fire in northwest Hama, near the town of Kafr Nabuda, where fighting has been raging between insurgents and government forces backed by air cover. The pilot was killed in action.