Interflug Flight 450
An Interflug Il-62, similar to the one involved in the crash | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | 14 August 1972 |
| Summary | In-flight fire leading to mid-air breakup |
| Site | Near Königs Wusterhausen, Bezirk Potsdam, East Germany 52°18′23″N 13°41′19″E / 52.30639°N 13.68861°E |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Ilyushin Il-62 |
| Operator | Interflug |
| IATA flight No. | IF450 |
| Call sign | INTERFLUG 450 |
| Registration | DM-SEA |
| Flight origin | Berlin-Schönefeld Airport, Schönefeld, East Germany |
| Destination | Burgas Airport, Burgas, Bulgaria |
| Occupants | 156 |
| Passengers | 145 |
| Crew | 11 |
| Fatalities | 156 |
| Survivors | 0 |
Interflug Flight 450 was a holiday charter flight to Burgas, Bulgaria that crashed shortly after take-off from Berlin-Schönefeld Airport in Schönefeld, East Germany, on 14 August 1972. The accident was caused by a fire in the aft cargo bay which spread quickly, destroying the aircraft’s structural integrity. All 156 passengers and crew died. To this day, it is the deadliest aviation accident to occur on German soil and the third deadliest accident involving an Ilyushin Il-62.