Lilienwald air disaster

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Lilienwald air disaster
ACFlight1347.jpg
Wreckage and parts of the two planes the day after the accident
Mid-air collision
Date14 August 1979 (1979-08-14)
SummaryMid-air collision caused by pilot error and ATC confusion
SiteLilienwald-Sigismundsee, Lilienburg
(and Rudolfszell, Mascylla)
Total fatalities281
Total survivors0
First aircraft
Interflug Flight 661 prior to accident.png
IU-GCE, the Interflug aircraft involved, in 1977.
TypeBe-185
NameKreuzer Sigismund
OperatorInterflug
Call signInterflug 661
RegistrationIU-GCE
Flight originLannbrück-Meißhardt International Airport, Lannbrück,  Mascylla
DestinationRakonitz-Krjisnik International Airport, Rakonitz,  Krumlau
Occupants187
Passengers171
Crew16
Fatalities187
Survivors0
Second aircraft
DAT aircraft colliding with Interflug 1979.png
DP-AWU, the DAT aircraft involved, in 1978.
TypeBe-202
NameAleksandr Korolyov
OperatorDAT
Call signDulebian 21
RegistrationDP-AWU
Flight originUlich Zhdanovo International Airport,
Ulich,  Dulebia
DestinationKönigsreh–Albert Polschnitz Airport,
Königsreh,  Mascylla
Occupants94
Passengers89
Crew5
Fatalities94
Survivors0

The Lilienwald air disaster was a mid-air collision accident between two passenger planes of Interflug and DAT over Lilienburg at night on 14 August 1979. Interflug Flight 662, a Be-185 en route from Lannbrück, Mascylla, to Rakonitz, Krumlau, and Dulebian Air Transport Flight 21, a Be-202 en route from Ulich, Dulebia, to Königsreh, Mascylla, collided in mid-flight over the borough of Lilienwald-Sigismund in Lilienburg and the border town of Rudolfszell in Mascylla. The crash killed all 281 people on board both aircraft, leaving no survivors and making it the world's deadliest mid-flight collision and the worst aviation accident to occur in Lilienburg.

Official investigation by Lilienburgish authorities identified the confusion of the air traffic control in service of the involved airspace sector about the locations of the planes, as well as mistakes and errors made by the pilotes who tried to avoid the aircraft collision as the main cause of the collision. The accident ultimately led to the universal use of TCAS, an automated on-board collision avoidance system, and better efforts by ATCs to distribute traffic control on more personnel and automated instruments.