Klaus Bechler

Klaus Bechler (29 October 1942 – 16 July 2023) was a former German helicopter engineer of the West German Border Guard (Bundesgrenzschutz) who volunteered to transport eight Black September terrorists and their nine Israeli hostages from the Munich Olympic Village to Fürstenfeldbruck Air Base in what became known as the Munich Massacre. He is one of the few survivors of the event.

Bechler was based at Oberschleißheim at the Fliegerstaffel Süd. On 4 September, Bechler had been in the Olympic stadium and saw the German high jumper, Ulrike Meyfarth, win gold.

Munich Massacre Bechler's first realisation of the events of 5 September was when he was awoken at 6:30 that morning and informed that his scheduled day off was cancelled.

Transportation to Fürstenfeldbruck

Before they left the Olympic Village, the terrorist leader Issa (Luttif Afif) went over to the helicopter and with a torch, thoroughly inspected the two Bell UH-1 Iroquois helicopters to transport the eight Black September terrorists and their nine hostages, even climbing on the roof to check there were no traps. Bechler showed the terrorist leader the machine and recalled the terrorist leader appeared 'very nervous but in control of the situation'. It was immediately clear to Bechler that Issa and Tony (Yusuf Nazzal) were the officers. Bechler remembered two of the Israeli hostages vividly, David Berger, an Israeli weightlifter, and wrestling coach Yakov Springer, described by Bechler, as "an elderly man with thinning hair". Bechler states that Issa asked the Israeli hostages, in his, Bechlers helicopter, if any of them spoke German, Bechler recalled Springer replying that he did.

As Issa and Tony made their way back to the helicopters, the first shots were fired. One terrorist who had been on Bechler's helicopter "did not move anymore", a second terrorist shot until the magazine on his rifle was empty. Tony was hit in the thigh about twenty five meters away from Bechler who took cover under the helicopter. Issa, who was not hit, threw himself under Bechler's helicopter. During a lull in the exchange of bullets between the terrorists and German police, Bechler ran towards the airbase control tower but as he did so was shot at from the other helicopter. Bechler dropped on the tarmac in front of the control tower and played dead for almost one and a half hours as the gun battle raged all around him.

Aftermath Bechler did not receive any help from the German Government despite the trauma of the events that night. After being taken care of by military doctors in the military hospital, Bechler was taken back to Oberschleissheim the next morning to his squadron. The next day he returned to full active service.

"There was no help, nothing. I was depressed by all the incidents, I wanted to get rid of them, wanted to talk. But when I wanted to talk to colleagues about it, it was said very quickly: Are you starting with this shit again? At that time I was married in my first marriage. And I suspect that my wife went to the Jehovah's Witnesses because of the incidents in Munich. They did not want me to carry a gun anymore and stop working – the profession I loved so much. This is probably what broke our marriage."

At the end of 1981 Bechler was retired from flying duties suffering from sonic trauma and sudden deafness from Fürstenfeldbruck for which Bechler did not receive treatment. Bechler believed that if he had been wearing his flight helmet he would have lost his hearing permanently.

Bechler went to work in the security service of Lufthansa, including half a year in Delhi, then half a year in Lima.

Hans-Dietrich Genscher thanked Bechler personally and awarded the Federal Cross of Merit First Class which he does not wear but keeps in a presentation box. Bechler also keeps a cartridge case from Fürstenfeldbruck.