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She had the satisfaction of watching it dive earthward in black smoke before she realized that she, too, had been hit by gunfire.

She could also see one of the Po-2s on fire, spinning earthward through the air as its flares exploded.

But for some reason, Olga’s aircraft suddenly went plummeting earthward.

As the birds plunged earthward to gulp water and feast on fatty globs bobbing in treatment ponds, a shadowy figure emerged from the corner of a building holding what looked to be a submachine gun.

“I poured in the rest of my ammo and he went into a spiraling dive, disappearing into a cloud at about 3,000 feet, still heading earthward.”