1964 T-39 shootdown incident

1964 T-39 shootdown incident
Part of the Cold War
A white-and blue twin-engined training jet
A T-39 Sabreliner of the U.S. Air Force
Date28 January 1964
Location
Vogelsberg, East Germany
51°07′10″N 11°14′00″E / 51.11944°N 11.23333°E / 51.11944; 11.23333
Result One aircraft shot down
Belligerents
 United States  Soviet Union
Casualties and losses
3 USAF officers killed None
1964 T-39 shootdown incident is located in East Germany
1964 T-39 shootdown incident
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Location within East Germany

On 28 January 1964, an unarmed T-39 Sabreliner aircraft of the United States Air Force (USAF) was shot down while on a training mission over Erfurt, East Germany, by a MiG-19 jet fighter of the Soviet Air Force.[1][2][3] The occupants of the aircraft were Lieutenant Colonel Gerald K. Hannaford, Captain Donald Grant Millard, and Captain John F. Lorraine. All three died,[4] becoming direct casualties of the Cold War in Europe.

  1. ^ "Factsheets : North American T-39A Sabreliner". Nationalmuseum.af.mil. Archived from the original on 10 July 2015. Retrieved 13 April 2010.
  2. ^ "T-39 Aircraft Incident". Western-allies-berlin.com. 28 January 1964. Retrieved 13 April 2010.
  3. ^ Aviation Safety Network Retrieved on 27 October 2011
  4. ^ "Cold War: Cold Blooded Murder". Time. 7 February 1964. Archived from the original on 13 December 2011. Retrieved 17 April 2010.