Tragic MiG-21 crash: Pilot comes under fatal pressure to make a decision

Tragic MiG-21 crash: Pilot comes under fatal pressure to make a decision

On Friday, August 13, 1965, a spectacular accident occurred near Loitz involving a military aircraft belonging to the GDR's National People's Army (NVA). On this day, the region was accompanied by aircraft noise as Fighter Squadron 9 often trained with the latest MiG-21 jets due to construction work in Peenemünde. But while one such aircraft took off from Tutow towards the north at around 11:30 a.m., the mission ran into great difficulties. The pilot, making strange up and down movements, was finally forced to abandon the aircraft and catapulted at about 400 meters. The jet crashed and exploded near Sassen - a dangerous decision that had far-reaching consequences.

The crash left not only material damage, but also haunting memories for local residents. The first grader at the time, Detlef Behm, remembers well the loud bang that interrupted lunch. When the mushroom cloud of smoke rose, the children were quickly sent into the house. The pastor's barn and the adjacent poultry houses were on fire, and many animals died in the inferno. It wasn't easy for the fire brigade, because while many people were busy harvesting, there was also a lack of water to extinguish the fire.

Another tragic incident

A comment on the plane accident in Loitz is difficult to avoid when one considers the events in Cottbus that occurred a few years later. According to Wikipedia, another serious crash involving a MiG-21 fighter jet occurred on January 14, 1975. In this tragic incident over Schmellwitz, seven people fell victim to a catastrophic event, including the pilot Major Peter Makowicka and six innocent local residents. The accident was caused by an incorrectly attached maintenance flap that fell off during the landing approach and caused engine failure.

The accident is still considered the worst involving a military aircraft in the GDR and is a constant reminder of the dangers associated with military operations. After the plane crashed into a five-story prefabricated building, a fire broke out, causing a terrible loss of life and extensive material damage.

Memories and consequences

Both events are not only part of the GDR's military-historical reappraisal, they also bring to life the personal fates of those involved. While the children in Loitz reacted to the events with shock and a certain naivety, people in Cottbus remembered the heroic deeds of the pilot, who, despite the impending disaster, tried everything to prevent his plane from crashing in an inhabited area. For his courageous attempts to protect the lives of local residents, he was posthumously awarded the combat medal “For Services to the People and Fatherland”.

Today, the memories of these tragic moments are firmly woven into the collections of this region, both in school stories and in the city's history. The traces of the MiG-21 crash in Loitz are still visible years later - powerful proof that history lives not only in books, but also in the hearts of the people who experienced it.

Sources: svz.de, Wikipedia, lr-online.de.