Ivan Chisov

Ivan Mikhailovich Chisov (, ; 1916–1986) was a Soviet Air Force lieutenant who survived a fall of approximately 7,000 meters (23,000 feet).

Biography

Lieutenant Colonel Chisov was a navigator on a Soviet Air Force Ilyushin Il-4 bomber. On 21 January 1942, ''Luftwaffe'' fighters attacked his bomber, forcing him to bail out. Nikolai Zhugan, a crewman on Chisov's flight, later said that Chisov leapt from the plane at an altitude of approximately 7,000 meters (23,000 feet), though other references list Chisov's fall at 6,700 meters. Zhugan himself waited until the plane was at about 5,000 meters before bailing out.

With the air battle still raging around him, Chisov intentionally did not open his parachute, as he feared that doing so would make him an easy target for German gunfire while dangling from his parachute harness. He planned to drop below the level of the battle and open his chute once he was out of sight of the fighters. Due to the thin atmosphere at that altitude, however, he lost consciousness and was unable to pull the rip cord.

Chisov struck the edge of a snowy ravine at an estimated speed of between , then slid, rolled, and ploughed his way to the bottom. The aerial battle had been seen by cavalry commander General Pavel Alexeyevich Belov. When Chisov was seen falling to the ground, cavalrymen rushed to the site, and were surprised to find Chisov alive, still wearing his unopened parachute. Chisov regained consciousness a short time later.

Chisov suffered severe injuries, including spinal injuries and a broken pelvis. He was immediately operated on and was in critical condition for a month following. Despite his injuries, he was able to fly again three months later."Aviation's most wanted: the top 10 book of winged wonders, lucky landings, and other aerial oddities" By Steven A. Ruffin, Darek Johnson, Published by Brassey's, 2005 He requested to continue flying combat missions, but was instead sent to become a navigational trainer.

Chisov flew over 70 combat missions during the course of his career.

After the war, he graduated from the Military-Political Academy. On his departure from the reserve, he became a propagandist for the Central House of the Soviet Army.

Awards

* Order of the Red Banner (23.07.1943)
* Order of the Patriotic War 1st class (1985)
* Medal "For the Defence of Moscow"
* Medal "For the Defence of Leningrad"
* Medal "For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945"
* Jubilee Medal "Twenty Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945"
* Jubilee Medal "Thirty Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945"
* Jubilee Medal "Forty Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945"

See also

; Fall survivors
* Nicholas Alkemade, British bomber tailgunner who survived falling from his burning Avro Lancaster B Mk. II in 1944
* Juliane Koepcke, who survived a 3 kilometre fall after her Lockheed Electra flight broke up over the Peruvian Amazon in 1971
* Alan Magee, American, World War II airman who survived a 22,000-foot (6,700 m) fall from his damaged B-17F Flying Fortress in 1943
* Vesna Vulović, Serbian flight attendant who survived the mid-air breakup of her McDonnell Douglas DC-9 in 1972
; Other
* Freefall
* List of sole survivors of aviation accidents or incidents

References

* Gunbin NA ''In the stormy sky''. Yaroslavl: Upper Volga. the book. Press, 1984.
* Golovanov, AE Long-range bombers. Moscow: OOO "Delta National Bank," 2004.
* DB Khazanov ''An unknown battle in the skies of Moscow in 1941–1942''. Counterattack. Moscow: Publishing House "Technology Youth," 2001.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chisov, I.M.
1916 births
1986 deaths
Fall survivors
Soviet Air Force officers
Shot-down aviators
Soviet military personnel of World War II