1952 Poznań Pe-2 crash

1952 Poznań Pe-2 crash was an aviation accident that occurred in Poznań on 10 June 1952. The exact number of victims is unknown; it is believed that three crew members and six civilians (pedestrians and workers at the crash site) were killed, while several others sustained injuries. Since the disaster took place during the Stalinist era, all information about it was classified. Although the accident occurred in the city center, it remained forgotten for a long time, even after the democratic transformations of 1989. The first article about it was only published in 2007 in the local press.

Accident

On 10 June 1952, around 8:30 AM, a Pe-2FT bomber, belonging to the 21st Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment stationed at Poznań–Ławica Airport, was likely performing a training flight over the city. As the aircraft was flying from the Starołęka district towards the airport, the crew reported issues with the right engine, and shortly afterward, the left engine also failed. According to a witness' account, the pilot attempted to make an emergency landing on the Łęgi Dębińskie area by the Warta river. However, when he noticed children playing football there, he decided to continue, probably aiming to land on an undeveloped area near the Church of the Body of Christ on Krakowska Street. The pilot was unable to regain control of the aircraft, which had both engines damaged, resulting in the crash.

The aircraft struck the roof of the Workers' Cooperative building at the intersection and crashed into the embankment of the Queen Jadwiga Bridge being constructed at the time. The force of the impact sent it upwards, after which the plane hit a tram power line pole and fell onto the street. The crash caused an explosion of fuel and ammunition, setting fire to nearby trees and damaging surrounding buildings.

According to one witness, just before the crash, the plane fired from its onboard weaponry into the air to warn those on the ground, allowing some workers at the intersection to take cover; however, this was not confirmed by other witnesses.

The disaster occurred in downtown Poznań, at the intersection of Droga Dębińska Street, Queen Jadwiga Street (then Marchlewski Street), and Garbary, Poznań. However, its exact location is reported differently in the few sources on the accident. According to the Pamięci lotników wojskowych 1945–2003 publication from 2003, the plane crashed on the southern side of the intersection, where the Poznań University of Physical Education building now stands. In contrast, witness accounts cited in Krzysztof M. Kaźmierczak's Ściśle tajne indicate that the accident took place on the northern side of the intersection, near the Church of the Body of Christ, at the junction of Strzelecka and Krakowska streets (where an apartment block now stands).