Death of Yuri Gagarin
1968 jet fighter crash that killed the first man in space / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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On March 27, 1968, Yuri Gagarin, the first man to go into space, died together with pilot Vladimir Seryogin during a routine training flight, after the MiG-15 jet fighter they were flying crashed near Novosyolovo in the Soviet Union.
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Accident | |
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Date | 27 March 1968 (1968-03-27) |
Summary | Crashed following loss of control |
Site | Near Novosyolovo, Vladimir Oblast, Soviet Union 56°2′47.9″N 39°1′35.4″E |
Aircraft | |
Aircraft type | MiG-15UTI |
Operator | Soviet Air Forces |
Registration | 612739 |
Flight origin | Chkalovsky Airport, Moscow Oblast, Soviet Union |
Occupants | 2 |
Crew | 2 |
Fatalities | 2 |
Survivors | 0 |
After his death, the Soviet government declared a period of national mourning in the memory of Gagarin. This was the first case in Soviet history where a day of national mourning was declared after the death of a person while performing work for the state[1] and was the first time it happened for someone who was not a head of state.[2]
At 21:15 of the next day, the remains of Gagarin and Vladimir Seryogin were cremated.[3] Their ashes were buried in the Kremlin Wall Necropolis.[4]
Wrapped in secrecy, the cause of the crash that killed Gagarin is uncertain and became the subject of several theories.[5][6] At least three investigations into the crash were conducted separately by the Air Force, official government commissions, and the KGB.[7][8] According to a biography of Gagarin by Jamie Doran and Piers Bizony, Starman: The Truth Behind the Legend of Yuri Gagarin, the KGB worked "not just alongside the Air Force and the official commission members but against them."[7]