"It is illegal to shoot down an aircraft in such a situation in Germany."
No! The Verfassungsgerichtshof ("supreme court") ruling, makes it illegal for the government to give an order to shoot down the airplane (i.e. to make a decision on actively killing some people to save others). Most lawyers, however, agree that the pilot of the nearby fighter jet would face none or minor legal consequences if deciding to shoot down such a rouge airplane. IANAL which is why I refer for details to the following German blog (by a well renowned judge): http://www.zeit.de/gesellschaft/zeitgeschehen/2016-10/ard-fe...
No! The Verfassungsgerichtshof ("supreme court") ruling, makes it illegal for the government to give an order to shoot down the airplane (i.e. to make a decision on actively killing some people to save others). Most lawyers, however, agree that the pilot of the nearby fighter jet would face none or minor legal consequences if deciding to shoot down such a rouge airplane. IANAL which is why I refer for details to the following German blog (by a well renowned judge): http://www.zeit.de/gesellschaft/zeitgeschehen/2016-10/ard-fe...