Accident Overview
On 14 August 1972, Interflug Flight 450, an Ilyushin Il-62 operated by the East German airline Interflug, crashed shortly after take-off from Berlin-Schönefeld Airport in Schönefeld, East Germany. The aircraft was operating as a holiday charter flight to Burgas, Bulgaria. All 156 passengers and crew on board died in the accident.
Cause
The accident was caused by a fire that originated in the aft cargo bay. The fire spread quickly and destroyed the aircraft's structural integrity, leading to the crash.
Aftermath
To this day, the crash of Interflug Flight 450 remains the deadliest aviation accident to occur on German soil. It is also the third deadliest accident involving the Ilyushin Il-62 aircraft type.