Interflug Flight 102 was a commercial flight operated by the East German airline Interflug. The aircraft, a Tupolev Tu-134, was scheduled to fly from Berlin Schönefeld Airport to Varna, Bulgaria. As the flight was preparing for takeoff, the crew detected an issue with one of the engines and decided to perform a rejected takeoff. Despite their attempts to halt the takeoff, the aircraft was unable to stop and crashed just after leaving the runway. The impact resulted in the loss of 21 lives among the 92 people on board. The precise details surrounding the malfunction and subsequent crash are crucial for understanding the safety protocols in place at the time. The incident raised questions about the aging fleet of aircraft operated by Eastern Bloc airlines and surveillance of safety measures amid a rapidly changing political landscape. The crash led to increased scrutiny of East German aviation and spurred discussions on the need for modernization and improvements in safety standards.In addition to the operational difficulties inherent in transitioning from a state-run aviation system to one that could meet international norms, the tragedy underscored how various systemic issues in the Eastern Bloc's aviation sector needed to be addressed as the Iron Curtain began to fall. These concerns resonated beyond aviation, linking safety issues to broader themes of change and reform during a time of upheaval in Eastern Europe.