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MiG-21 crash in Sassen: Village in fear after air defense disaster!
A MiG-21 crash near Anklam in the GDR in 1965 caused extensive damage. Memories and reports from contemporary witnesses shed light on the tragedy.
MiG-21 crash in Sassen: Village in fear after air defense disaster!
In August 1965, a dramatic scene occurred in the region around Sassen that will forever be remembered by the residents of the small town. On Friday the 13th, during the school holidays and harvest time, a National People's Army (NVA) fighter plane took off from the nearby Tutow airfield. That morning the sky was filled with the noise of Fighter Squadron 9, which had converted to new MiG-21 jets that were significantly more powerful than their predecessors, the MiG-17. Nordkurier reports that the pilot had to struggle with strange movements after just one minute of the flight and ultimately had to abandon the aircraft. He catapulted himself from a height of around 400 meters.
The fate of the MiG-21 was sealed: the jet crashed near Sassen and exploded between a chicken farm and the local vicarage. A bang, followed by dark smoke, was heard. Detlef Behm, who was first class at the time, vividly remembers the scene and the chaos that followed, when the pastor's barn and the poultry house also went up in flames. Many animals fell victim to the flames. The fire department also posed a major challenge because a large number of the men were busy harvesting.
A fatal incident
A look back at other tragic events shows that the NVA was not the only time in the headlines. On January 14, 1975, there was a devastating accident in Cottbus, in which an NVA military aircraft crashed into a residential building during a workshop flight. Wikipedia reports that this accident is considered one of the worst crashes in the history of the GDR. In this incident, Major Peter Makowicka tried to divert the unpowered aircraft away from a populated area to prevent something worse from happening, but unfortunately he was unable to do so. The crash cost seven lives, including the pilot and six residents of the affected prefabricated building.
The crash was caused by technical problems and incorrect maintenance. During a landing, a maintenance flap fell off, resulting in engine failure. The MiG-21 fell almost vertically and pierced between the first and second floors of the building, where hundreds of liters of kerosene burned, starting a devastating fire. 16 people were injured in the accident, many of whom suffered panic attacks. Despite the enormous damage, there was no public relations damage for the NVA in this case, as the state media only reported on it sporadically, so many details only came to light after reunification. ZDF describes that a military court sentenced a technician to five years in prison for negligent maintenance. The public then demanded that air traffic in the region be stopped.
Aftermath and remembrance
The immediate consequences of the crash in Sassen were also profound. While the fuselage of the MiG-21 left a depression in the ground that remained visible for decades, debris was discovered today up to 500 meters from the crash site. Despite the destruction, there was only one injured person in the village: a man cut himself while trying to help a resident of the burning rectory.
The exciting story of the MiG-21 crash in Sassen and the terrible events in Cottbus illustrates the dangers associated with military aircraft. They remain present for the affected communities not only in history books, but also in everyday life. It is important to remember these incidents and learn their lessons for the future.