Andrzej Piotr Andrzejewski (May 19, 1961 – January 23, 2008) was a

Brigadier General Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

of the Polish Air Force who died in the military

plane crash An aviation accident is defined by the Convention on International Civil Aviation Annex 13 as an occurrence associated with the operation of an aircraft, which takes place from the time any person boards the aircraft with the ''intention of fl ...

in Mirosławiec along with other officers, among whom he was the highest ranking. A graduate of the Academy of National Defense (1995) and, previously, the High Air Force School (1985), he had spent a long career in the Polish Air Force. Andrzejewski barely escaped death when his fighter, an Su-22M-4K, was accidentally shot down by Kub (SA-6) missile during an exercise on August 19, 2003. He ejected from the plane into the Baltic Sea and was rescued after an hour and a half. Three years later, he was promoted to general and was appointed commander of the 1st Brigade of the Tactical Aircraft in

Mirosławiec Mirosławiec (german: Märkisch Friedland; csb, Frédlądk) is a town in Wałcz County, West Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland, with 4,837 inhabitants (2007). The 12th Air Base of the Polish Air Force is located north of the town. Mirosławiec ...

. He remained in command until his death. He spent over 1000 hours in planes. On January 23 2008, the EADS CASA C-295 which Andrzejewski and fellow officers were aboard, flying from

Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...

via

Powidz Powidz (pronounced ) is a village in Słupca County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, in west-central Poland. It is the seat of the gmina (administrative district) called Gmina Powidz. It lies approximately north of Słupca and east of the regiona ...

and

Krzesiny The 31st Air Base ( pl, 31. Baza Lotnicza), commonly known as Poznań-Krzesiny Airport is a Polish Air Force base and military airport, located in Krzesiny, part of the Nowe Miasto district of Poznań. The base was officially constituted o ...

to Mirosławiec, crashed during an approach to the 12th Air Base near Mirosławiec. There were no survivors. Andrzejewski was the highest ranking

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, w ...

general to die in duty for decades. He was 46 years old. He is survived by his wife, Małgorzata, and his two daughters, Klaudyna (26) and Patrycja (21). He was posthumously promoted to Division General. The

President of the Republic of Poland The president of Poland ( pl, Prezydent RP), officially the president of the Republic of Poland ( pl, Prezydent Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej), is the head of state of Poland. Their rights and obligations are determined in the Constitution of Polan ...

Lech Kaczyński Lech Aleksander Kaczyński (; 18 June 194910 April 2010) was a Polish politician who served as the city mayor of Warsaw from 2002 until 2005, and as President of Poland from 2005 until his death in 2010. Before his tenure as president, he pre ...

, ordered three-days of

national mourning A national day of mourning is a day or days marked by mourning and memorial activities observed among the majority of a country's populace. They are designated by the national government. Such days include those marking the death or funeral of ...

after the fatal crash.

References

Biography with photo of General Andrzejewski
{{DEFAULTSORT:Andrzejewski, Andrzej 1961 births 2008 deaths Aviators killed in aviation accidents or incidents People from Sochaczew Polish generals Polish aviators Knights of the Order of Polonia Restituta Recipients of the Bronze Cross of Merit (Poland) Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in Poland Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 2008