NATO experts and soldiers anticipated that the Soviet pilot would make a fatal mistake while landing, allowing them to seize the latest generation of secret aircraft.
In February 1967, the Mikoyan design bureau in Lukhovitsy (Moscow) assembled four brand new MiG-21PFM aircraft. At that time, these were classified war machines being hunted by foreign intelligence. These aircraft were intended to protect the East German border, so they needed to be transported to the airfield in Cottbus, located south of Brandenburg.
Soviet MiG aircraft supplied to allied countries around the world
The pilots of the 16th Guard Squadron of the Fighter Aviation Division were entrusted with this important mission. The leader of this elite quartet was Captain Fyodor Zinoviev. In principle, everything was supposed to go smoothly, without any incidents.
During the first leg of the journey, the MiG aircraft safely flew to Minsk (Belarus), refueled, and then continued to Cottbus.
Zinoviev Fedor Mikhailovich
The only difficulty was that Captain Zinoviev had only previously flown to Templin Airport near Brandenburg, while this mission involved a new location. Thus, an unusual incident occurred: the squadron commander flew in the wrong direction and approached Berlin. Moreover, he found himself in the area occupied by Western powers. Mistake after mistake, Captain Zinoviev requested permission to land from the ground coordinator.
The control room was silent, with no response. To be cautious, Zinoviev cut off communication and decided to land on his own. At that moment, he thought that perhaps the coordinator’s radio was malfunctioning. After landing safely, the pilot realized that something was amiss. Looking around, he noticed that the airfield was filled with strange aircraft bearing NATO insignia.
Soviet MiG-21 taking off
The most interesting part was that the remaining aircraft in the squadron had safely landed at the Cottbus airfield independently. Zinoviev found himself in a highly disadvantageous position. The coordinator’s silence revealed that he had not been “asleep.” All eyes of NATO soldiers and experts were intently watching. They anticipated that the Soviet pilot would make a fatal mistake while landing, and the latest generation of secret aircraft would be in their hands.
Thus, the trap had completely closed, or at least that’s what the Americans and West Germans thought. They immediately brought fire trucks to block the runway. The opportunity to capture a Soviet pilot and aircraft was very high, and they were confident they would succeed. However, NATO experts underestimated the technical and tactical capabilities of the new Soviet fighter aircraft.
Zinoviev maneuvered the aircraft, turned around, accelerated, and immediately took off from a relatively short runway. It’s hard to imagine the expressions on the faces of NATO personnel at that moment, as they likely believed with 99% certainty that they would boldly declare to the Soviet pilot that “you are not going anywhere.” Yet, the large NATO forces missed their chance and allowed him to escape right before their eyes.
After this unforgettable escape, Captain Zinoviev finally reached his desired airfield safely and was immediately summoned by his superiors.
Captain Zinoviev did not face any severe disciplinary measures, as he had successfully handled the situation safely: neither the pilot was injured, nor was the aircraft in poor condition. Moreover, three years prior to this incident, Zinoviev had achieved the feat of shooting down an American reconnaissance aircraft.
Overall, his superiors decided to limit the response to a verbal reprimand. The division commander remarked: “His landing at Tegel was the act of a fool, while his successful escape was quite commendable.”
