Shirvani Kostoev

Shirvani Ustarkhanovich Kostoev (Russian: Ширвани Устарханович Костоев; 1923 – 6 August 1949) was an Ingush Ilyushin Il-2 pilot and flight commander in the 64th Attack Aviation Regiment during the Second World War.

The German invasion of the Soviet Union began while he was a cadet at the school, but instead of being sent to the front immediately he was sent to Saratov and the Trans-baikal territory, where he mastered piloting the Ilyushin Il-2.

He was deployed to the warfront in autumn 1944 as part of the 64th Attack Aviation Regiment, which had suffered losses but received new aircraft.

In his short amount of time on the warfront, he rose from the rank of starshina to junior lieutenant and was made a flight commander.

After the war he was sent to the Baltic military district, where he was killed in a plane crash while conducting a test flight in 1949.