[GuerraCivil]

Some friendly fire cases by Red Army Air Force (Soviets) during Winter War against Finland 1939-1940:

49 IAP (49th Fighter Aviation Regiment):

On 6.12.1939 the unit opened its air victory record when four of its I-16 fighters attacked an enemy flying boat. The enemy plane went down in flames, only one parachute. One of I-16 pilots, I.P. Murazonav was hit by returnfire of enemy.
In reality the downed plane was Soviet MBR-2 of Ladoga flotilla and only lieutnant Petrov of its crew managed to bail out although he was wounded, all three other crewmen were killed. The tragic incident was investigated and it showed that the flight of MBR-2 was not informed to 8th Air Army (in which 49 IAP belonged) and also that many Red Army Air Force pilots were unable to identify Soviet naval planes.

On 1.1.1940 was again a bad day for 49 IAP. Lieutnant Gluhin attacked twin engined enemy bomber which he probably thought to be a Finnish Blenheim. However, it was a SB bomber of 18 SBAP and all of its crew was killed.

7 IAP (7th Fighter Aviation Regiment):

On 25.12.1939 one I-16 fighter of 7 IAP spotted an enemy Bulldog biplane and shot it down. However the plane was in reality a I-15 bis plane of the same 7 IAP. The I-15 bis pilot Pavel Khutakov managed to bail out successfully. This saved him for brilliant military career. Pavel Khutakov was the Commander-in-Chief and Chief Air Marshall of Soviet Air Force in 1969-1984.