▁flying ▁career ▁come ▁to ▁an ▁end ▁on ▁the ▁ground . ▁On ▁ 1 8 ▁April ▁ 1 9 4 5 , ▁Stein hoff ' s ▁Me ▁ 2 6 2 ▁suffered ▁a ▁ty re ▁blow - out ▁and ▁crash ed ▁on ▁take - off ▁from ▁München - R iem ▁air field . ▁Stein hoff ▁suffered ▁severe ▁burn s ▁( sp ending ▁two ▁years ▁in ▁hospital ) ▁which ▁left ▁him ▁vis ibly ▁scar red ▁despite ▁years ▁of ▁re construct ive ▁surg ery . ▁His ▁e y el ids ▁were ▁re built ▁by ▁a ▁British ▁sur geon ▁after ▁the ▁war . ▁ ▁His ▁w art ime ▁record ▁was ▁ 1 7 6 ▁aircraft ▁claimed ▁destroyed , ▁of ▁which ▁ 1 5 2 ▁were ▁on ▁the ▁Eastern ▁Front , ▁ 1 2 ▁on ▁the ▁Western ▁Front ▁and ▁ 1 2 ▁in ▁the ▁Mediter rane an . ▁He ▁also ▁fle w ▁ 9 9 3 ▁oper ational ▁sort ies . ▁Stein hoff ▁was ▁shot ▁down ▁ 1 2 ▁times ▁but ▁had ▁to ▁b ail ▁out ▁only ▁once . ▁Exp la ining ▁his ▁preference ▁to ▁remain ▁with ▁his ▁dam aged ▁aircraft , ▁Stein hoff ▁admitted : ▁" I ▁only ▁ba iled ▁out ▁once . ▁I ▁never ▁trust ed ▁the ▁par ach utes . ▁I ▁always ▁land ed ▁my ▁dam aged ▁plan es , ▁hoping ▁not ▁to ▁get ▁b ounced ▁on ▁the ▁way ▁down ▁when ▁I ▁lost ▁power ." ▁ ▁Cold ▁War ▁ ▁Stein hoff ▁recogn ised ▁the ▁situation ▁of ▁post war ▁Germany , ▁and ▁was ▁invited ▁by ▁West