On Jan 14, 1975, a MiG-21 of the East German Air Force suffered a catastrophic engine failure during a training flight. A maintenance error - securing a compressor hatch with only 2 out of required 28 quick-release fasteners - caused the engine to shut down mid-air over Cottbus. 1/7
Jan 16, 2026 10:32The pilot, Major Peter Makowicka, was ordered by ground control to eject immediately. He refused, realizing his plane was heading straight for the massive "TKC" textile mill where thousands were working. He stayed with the aircraft to steer it away from the factory. 2/7
Makowicka’s heroic effort saved the factory workers, but he couldn't clear the residential area. At 10:15 AM, the jet slammed into a 5-story "Plattenbau" apartment block. The crash and resulting fireball from 800 liters of fuel killed Makowicka and six women in the building. 3/7
Firefighters arrived within minutes but had to guess if the plane was armed with live ammo (it wasn't). They initially used foam to fight the kerosene fire, then switched to water to prevent those trapped inside from being blinded or suffocated by chemical fumes. 4/7
The GDR government quickly sealed the site, and within two days, the hole in the building was patched to hide the evidence. The Stasi suppressed public outrage, as mothers refused to send kids to nearby schools. 5/7
While the GDR officially praised the pilot’s heroism to deflect from the maintenance scandal, they eventually moved the entire fighter wing out of Cottbus due to the public's fear. 6/7
At the time, the accident only received a minor mention in the press. Today, there's a small plaque on the building where the MiG crashed, commemorating the tragic event. 7/7
The technician responsible for the accident was sentenced to 5 years prison in 1975. 8/7
