on fire.
As of 2022, this incident remains the largest loss of non-passenger life in the accidental crash of an aircraft on U.S. soil. As the torrent rushed in I could hear cries of alarm, curses, and someone yelling run from the mock-ups. through the trees." I also remember that whatever cover I found had to be within about 5 feet of where I was standing.
disaster site. His friend was badly burned but still alive. combat.[41]. Some found safety.
(Combat)(Airborne), to Chaplain, XVIII Airborne Corps and Fort Bragg, Fort
Matthew J. Zegan, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Spc. Soldiers commandeered personal vehicles and filled ambulances to carry the scores of wounded troops. together to prevent further injury. After much effort,
Skyshroud Claim also has a similar ability to Explosive Vegetation but has important differences that make it better.
Doctors came from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, he said. January 17, 2023 at 7:07 am CST. After hearing
The paratroopers at Green Ramp scattered as the fireball approached. themselves to practice jumps from the first set of mock doors. Rich, the 525th Military
Those who escaped injury
. Mark G. Gibson, B Company, 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Staff Sgt. station within six to fifteen minutes. I turned and ran from the flame, to just beyond the right end of the pack shed, where . He knelt down and used his top to try smother the fire, but fed by fuel covering the soldier, the flames kept reigniting. Tommy Caldwell, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Pvt. A small amount of hydrazine had leaked from the
Instead, the pilots practiced touch and go landings. admit that I had an overwhelming desire to burrow my way into the side of that
They did not wait for someone to take charge. it year after year, but .
Others were running around in half panic, half dazed, looking for someone to help or something to do. to the accounts of those who felt like talking. A few had no apparent injury but were dead all the same.
Capt. He recalled
respects, wellplanned schemes. Soldiers, many of whom were on fire, suddenly had to worry about bullets whizzing pass. To prevent the second C-141 from catching fire, crews rapidly towed it 300 yards away. hydrazine, a chemical used for emergency engine restarting "because even a
to include all quotations, is based on the Rich and Godfrey Interv, 14 Apr 94. "If you could put someone
ran on an angle to the left of the explosion and something hit him in the back
[17] Interv, Sgt Patricia Lewis with Spc Michael J. Fournier, 12 Apr
Once the fireball passed over the paratroopers, another danger became evident. He looked over his left shoulder in time to see the jet, broken in half and hurtling toward him as some in the formation yelled: Crash!, I took two steps and I was diving for the ground, and the fireball swept over me. B. Keith Poole, the commander of Headquarters and Headquarters
West with Sgt Jacob T. Nacyaert, Jr., 25 May 94. (hereafter cited as Whitehurst Memo). [39] As quoted in Leonnig, "Quick Warning," p. 10A. President Clinton visited the site two days after the incident and met with the injured at Womack at Fort Bragg. It killed twenty-four members of the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne Division preparing for an airborne training operation. this on their own initiative. It killed twenty-four members of the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne Division preparing for an airborne training operation.[1][2][3]. It was the only part of his body sticking up over the concrete.
See also p. 13A. Bebber became aware of the dead around him. Zaret repeated the maneavuer several times without incident. Anything they could do to
Near him
the hospital . . Flames and wreckage covered the landscape as far as he could see through the smoke.
Both Captains Rich and Godfrey believed that basic training in how to
The SECURE Act 2.0 legislation builds on retirement savings changes passed in 2019 and contains new provisions that further raise the required minimum distribution (RMD) age, shift to automatic plan enrollment and provide for new matching/emergency withdrawal opportunities. Waddington Sanchez, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Staff Sgt. Four ambulances from Pope Air Force Base arrived, including one that rescued the two F-16 pilots. A few feet away Rich helped another soldier put out
The calm, pleasant day was shattered in an instant, ruined by a crash, an explosion, confusion and a ball of fire. [8] Several of the more severely burned victims were taken to the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research at Brooke Army Medical Center, Texas.
ambulances from Cumberland, Moore, Hoke, and Harnett Counties stood by to move
quickly and competently. The Green Ramp disaster was a 1994 mid-air collision and subsequent ground collision at Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina. planning. The collision sent the fighter jet hurling to the ground,. He described the heat as being inside of a microwave, with the flames carrying a low-pitched roar not unlike a blow torch. ran along the mock-ups onto the soldier's back and successfully quenched the
The sensation of the "intense heat of the
He waited to move to the pax shed to pick
Gerald K. Bebber, the 525th Military Intelligence Brigade chaplain,
Flames and wreckage covered the landscape as far as he could see through the smoke.
rescuing soldiers, using their bare hands and canteens of water to "put out
Gavaghan said. Kelly practiced as he waited to pick up his parachute from a nearby building. control center, activated because of the crash, sent a fifth ambulance,
23, 1994 Green Ramp disaster at the former Pope Air Force Base.
email. to the jumpmaster school. [16] As quoted in Marc Barnes, "'Doc' Was the Best He Could Beand
What the hell was that? Clapp asked a nearby sergeant. These medics were among the first upon the scene and provided assistance after notification to MSG Richard Young of the 44th Medical Brigade Operations at Fort Bragg by a cell phone call from SFC Juan Gonzales at HQ, 44th Medical Brigade who was awaiting an airborne jump at Pope AFB. A year after the tragedy, families of survivors and the fallen gathered at Green Ramp for a small memorial. Captain Rich, the jumpmaster, was standing about S feet from the first C-141
As a symbolic gesture, he carried
"be taken care of." answered the alerts with professionalism and dispatch, reflecting, in most
In the torrent of flame, I saw pieces of wreckage and machinery hurling along. Rich, the jumpmaster, was standing near a mock C-141 when he heard someone yell Its gonna crash. He turned, but could only see an orange glow, surrounded by smudgy black smoke., Despite hearing the word run, for some reason I determined that my only chance of survival lay not in running but finding something solid between myself and the oncoming fireball I think one of the compelling factors in my decision to dive behind the mock door was an over whelming understanding that there was no way in hell I could outrun the oncoming debris I also remember that whatever cover I found had to be within about 5 feet of where I was standing. It was the left one of a pair of C-141s parked there.. But for survivor Shawn O'Hara, the story didn't .
It was the worst peacetime loss of life suffered by the division since the end of World War II.
See more ideas about disasters, ramp, green. He decided to
[31] Interv, Lt Col Iris J. [32], Limited triage occurred at the crash site because of the fires and exploding
then used a penknife to remove the buckle, as well as to cut offthe soldier's
commander who had served with a special operations unit during the Gulf War. evacuate them to Womack. As soon as I could think this, a great roaring rush of fire entered my sight above and to the left of the pack shed. As soon as I could think this, a great
Sgt. wreckage and machinery hurling along. by . He worried about his burned lips. In the charred grass of Green Ramp, Clapp said time slowed.
fractured leg immobile.[24]. stood up and scattered in several directions after the explosion. We were trying to figure out if we were under attack, if it was a terrorist attack or an accident or a combination of both. BDU had been soaked with airplane fuel. was not, she ran back to the spot where he had protected her from the explosion. . [10], Sergeant Kelley was standing with his back toward the mock doors and the
The collision was captured in transcripts of recorded air-to-ground and air-to-air communications from over Pope Air Force Base. Most of the soldiers didnt see the crash. Download Unionpedia on your Android device! The Green Ramp disaster was a 1994 mid-air collision and subsequent ground collision at Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina. soldiers attended airborne classes, held at the jumpmaster school. 2:10:50 Pope: Fayetteville Pope, the runways closed, oh my God!
students, Joint Special Operations Command medics, trained medical personnel
Gregory Cowper of the 2d Battalion, 505th Infantry, started rolling
Instructors,
Others were running around in half panic, half dazed, looking for someone to help or something to do. "[37], Spc. M. Lee Walters of the 504th's 1st Battalion. casualties, but all of the injured had been evacuated. Capt. What follows is a play-by-play of the Green Ramp Disaster, compiled from investigative reports, interviews, Observer archives and military accounts. of the hummer, his arms stretched out, almost like he was crucified."
life to save a female soldier he had never met before. Those who ran were too slow or tripped over equipment or had no place to go. Rolling
Capt. 82nd Airborne Plane Crash @ Pope Airforce Base, Green Ramp 36,539 views Jun 7, 2011 35 Dislike Share Save 82ndAirborneFun 231 subscribers Its no longer called Pope Airforce Base. Another airman, Sgt. He immediately
A medical evacuation training exercise that was going on at Fort Bragg turned into the real thing, and Matt Shipley, with the 57th Medical Evacuation Company, flew one of the helicopters that took the injured to local hospitals. reattach the severed leg.[19]. All
Sgt.
It killed twenty-four members of the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne Division preparing for an airborne operation. [1] The term Green Ramp officially means that portion of the airfield where aircraft are parked and does not include the paratroopers' staging area. Within twenty minutes the aircraft was under control.
offtheir helmets and were wearing battle dress uniforms (BDU) and boots. I turned and ran
A few
USAF firefighters drag hoses in front of the C-141 Starlifter destroyed during the Green Ramp disaster. His writing has appeared in The National Interest and other news media. we had trained there," said Lt. Col. Stanley A. McChrystal, the battalion
I then tried to get as flat against the ground and as close to the concrete as I could.
The whole world turned orange, and the air was so hot that it literally sucked the air out of my lungs. it went forward. Install. They did
[7], Capt. (Photo by Action Captures Media Group) By Doug Spoon, Edi. It was a nightmare. Required to undergo
I saw him, ran over, put a tourniquet on his leg to save him and went around to help whoever I could, even though I had burned my hands," Scott Wolfe said. [25] As quoted in 7itimberly N. Mason, "Medics Take Care of Wounded
Another brigade officer, Capt.
fires on their bodies, sometimes with their own hands. And however bad it was, Gerlach said it could have been much worse if the hulking C-130 had also crashed. their military training had enabled them to save many soldiers'lives. wreckage farther down along the mock-ups, but his view was blurred because of
[2] [3] located under the trees near the number 2 C-141 mock-up.
The
splinting and control of bleeding. He and others ran toward a berm and dove behind it for safety. "It seemed irrelevant,"
when the fire caught up with him.
He survived the blast with a broken leg. together they poured foam and water on the C-141 to keep its fuselage from
At the same time, the C-130 crew took their aircraft away from the airfield and checked to ensure it could safely land. Sean M. Dixon, C Company, 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Spc. At the Fort Bragg hospital that afternoon, Bebber and other chaplains some of whom were survivors themselves moved around the injured, praying and listening to those who felt like talking. The Green Ramp disaster was considered the worst peacetime loss of life suffered by the division since World War II with 24 paratroopers dead and more than 80 injured, according to Mary Ellen.
94, sub: Medlcal Afler-Actlon Report for Aircraft Accident, 23 March 1994
Staff Sgt. The 82nd Airborne Division hosted the Green Ramp Disaster Memorial Ceremony on March 22, 2019, outside the Airborne Division War Memorial at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The soldiers who
Many troops not involved in the accident had rushed onto Green Ramp in its aftermath.
transfer of casualties from Womack to other facilities. After their
from the back of him to the front. Posted on March 23, 2016 by Blake Hall. Jonathan C. Gibbs III, a chaplain for the 159th Aviation Group, saw the huge fireball burst through the trees dotting Green Ramp. As reported by The Fayetteville Observer, debris-filled fireball, estimated to be some 75-feet in diameter, tore through the waiting soldiers. . We could have followed that F-16 onto Green Ramp, he said. As the firefighters fought flames, rescue teams in ambulances reached the scene. . Airborne Division, Maj. Gen. William M. Steele, said: It was soldiers saving soldiers. missions, one in the late afternoon and another in the evening, using aircraft
the fireball approaching. But they heard it. He joined
12-inch high concrete slab that constituted the simu lated floor of the C-14 1
shed"; a series of CONEX containers; two Air Force buildings; trailers; a
An arms length away, a young soldier had been hit in the head by part of the wreckage. Gregory D. Nunes, D Company, 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Sgt.
Gary Gerlach was part of a four-man aircrew in a C-130 over Pope Air Force Base. an Air Force chaplain in calming the wounded and preventing them from going into
One by one, their names were called. Firefighters from Fort Bragg and nearby Cumberland County arrived within six to fifteen minutes of the crash.
Every year since, survivors come on their own to visit the site, including Jay.
prejump exercises within twenty-four hours of taking off, Army paratroopers had
Photo credit: U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force. 2:10:07 F-16 to Pope: WEBAD3 three green low approach, 2:10:16 Pope to C-130: HITMAN31 ah present position right closed approved, 2:10:20 C-130 to Pope: Present position right closed for 31 wilco, 2:10:26 UNKNOWN: (background noise) Jesus, 2:10:30 UNKNOWN: (background noise) Oh shit; Holy shit. Intelligence Brigade's S 4 (logistics officer) and a primary jumpmaster, had
hospital.
In fact, I would go so far as to admit that I had an overwhelming desire to burrow my way into the side of that slab., Rich thought he was going to die. They included instructors from the jumpmaster school; medics from
Dane County EMS Banquet Honors Survivors, Responders Involved In Cardiac Saves; On This Day In History: The First 911 Call Is Placed In 1968; With Safety and Fire Prevention For All.
Dario Leone is an aviation, defense and military writer. - green ramp disaster stock pictures, royalty-free photos & images January 2022, Brandenburg, Schwedt/Ot Criewen: Milena Kreiling, ranger of the nature guard in the Lower Oder Valley National Park, documents a spot.
Some found safety. In an effort to return to his own
even casualties. ear, "Crawl out from underneath me.'' from various locations. sounded like "rain hitting a tin roof." It was the worst peacetime loss of life suffered by the Division since the end of World War II. 57th Medical Company, stood by at Womack and at nearby Simmons Army Airfield for
As soon as I could think this, a great roaring rush of fire entered my sight above and to the left of the pack shed. [2] Two months after the accident, only one paratrooper remained critical, while the others were either in satisfactory condition or convalescing at home. There were barely any winds to speak of.
May 1995, p. 10. 19 relations. [18] Interv, Mary Ellen Condon-Rall with Sgt Christopher J. Burson, Sgt
And he returned to the Air Force base nearly a decade later, when officials finally recognized 11 airmen with medals for heroism in response to the crash. Gus Siettas of the 2d Battalion, 504th Infantry, said: "If
Other soldiers already had their parachutes.
It was also the worst peacetime loss of life suffered by the division since the end of World War II. the marshaling area.[5]. Instead, he lived through the Green Ramp disaster, one of the U.S. military's worst peacetime accidents. the injured man. mock-up directly to my front and in between me and the oncoming fireball. shed" referred to in this memorandum is the pax shed. [30], Two UH-60 medevac helicopters had landed near Green Ramp as well. This means that Skyshroud Claim can . James B. ramp, now in my line of sight I could see a parked C-141 engulfed in flames. volkswagen" on the chalk line where he had been standing. Brigade, to Chaplain, XVIII Airborne Corps, 12 Apr 94, sub: After-Action Report,
When Captain Godirey looked up from behind the tree where he had sought
while he was helping the wounded. shed when he, heard the high pitched screech of a jet fighter airplane at
44th Medical Brigade. he took off his BDU top and knelt down beside the other casualty to extinguish
roaring sound like that of a blow torch. At any instant [Rich] expected to
paratroopers at 1430. They were piled on top of each other
When Kelley stood back up he was on fire.
effectively to the accident. As soldiers readied for their jumps, Air Force Tech. [25], Spc. The Green Ramp disaster was a 1994 mid-air collision and subsequent ground collision at Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina. people before realizing that he had a broken leg. care of injured comrades. A pair of C-141 Starlifters, aircraft not usually based at Pope but
Corps and Fort Bragg, praised the quick and impromptu response of the soldiers
Squadron, which supported the 23d Wing on Pope Air Force Base, answered the call
flight line when he heard a noise; as he turned, he saw the C-141 explode.
Military leaders, survivors and family members marked the 20th anniversary of the Green Ramp Disaster in a memorial ceremony at Fort Bragg, N.C., Mar.
gonna crash." lift the wounded into the tactical and personal vehicles that began arriving to
[40] As quoted in Henry Cuningham, ``sattalion Remains Ready TO Fight
medical platoon leader. He saw flames and
Intelligence Brigade's assistant S-3 (operations officer), had saved his wife's
[15], Sgt.
.
The debris struck the mock door like rain hitting a tin roof or heavy pipes clanging against each other, mixed with a handful of steel marbles thrown against a road sign.. No.
as he turned and looked, he saw "fire in the air and debris starting to
23, 1994 Green Ramp disaster at the former Pope Air Force Base. The soldiers lucky enough to escape injury came to the aid of those less fortunate. 24. carried litters, whatever was needed." Another soldier, Sgt. jumped up and, with his back still to the flight line, started running to the
Rich and the other walking wounded
from the first mock door with his back to the flicht line.
Capt.
from a burning post in order to put his fires out. tree. Military leaders, survivors and family members marked the 20th anniversary of the Green Ramp Disaster in a memorial ceremony at Fort Bragg, N.C., Mar. It killed twenty-four members of the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne Division preparing for an airborne training operation.
about. Gustavo Gallardo, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Spc. wreckage had virtually cut off. Once he realized the fireball was gone, Rich rolled across the ground to put the flames out. Both dug themselves into the
Capt. And I blacked out.. Godfrey took three strides and hunkered down behind a tree, on all fours with this head ducked down and his arms under him.
Dr. Joe FitzHarris, chief of the department of family practice at Womack when the disaster occurred, said he thought the disaster was only a drill at first. The nine pronounced dead at
blaze" became "a swirling ball of death. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of loved ones lost. To his right side were two crushed food vendor trucks,
burning debris and hot metal were everywhere. Wikipedia: "The Green Ramp disaster was a 1994 mid-air collision and subsequent ground collision at Pope Air Force Base (Pope AFB), North Carolina that killed twenty-four members of the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne Division preparing for an airborne operation.
some "TA-50"individual equipment-issued items, helmets,
[29], Contingency planning also helped medical rescue teams respond with alacrity. Two dozen soldiers were killed and more than 100 others injured when an F-16D Fighting Falcon collided mid-air with a C-130E Hercules. The Army Burn Team that was already in North Carolina, arrived at Womack about 7:30 PM, the other teams arrived from Fort Sam Houston about 11:30 PM.
Many people not involved in the accident had rushed onto Green Ramp to offer
[3] Interv, Lt Col Iris J. Within 20 minutes, the fire was under control. Nearby, another man was burning like a human torch.. It was then that the sheer devastation on
Charlotte Observer, 25 Mar 94, p. 10A. Also included are descriptions of the accident from those soldiers and airmen who survived or witnessed the disaster. were on fire. Andrew J. Jones, A Company, 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Pfc.
Accident 23 March 1994 (hereafler cited as Gibbs Memo). Hundreds of soldiers from at least five Fort Bragg units were at what was then-Pope Air Force Base to prepare for the jumps, completing pre-jump exercises at what is known as Green Ramp.
just finished rehearsing duties with the jumpmaster team in the mock aircraft. . A vendor of one of the trucks was on fire, and a soldier was trying to put out the flames. The accident began with a mid-air collision between an F-16D and a C-130E at approximately 300 feet above ground. Gibbs also helped move the
The only thing that
The 23d Medical Squadron's unit
Many sat on the
Those who ran were too slow or tripped over equipment or had no place to go. Trying to put out fires on them, checking to see if they were still alive, comforting them. from the flame, to just beyond the right end of the pack shed, where . life by pushing her to the ground and placing himself on top of her when he saw
No. .
through the carnage to check on others. "[35], Capt. West with Capt M. Lee Walters and Lt Stephanie
Daniel E. Price, B Company, 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Staff Sgt. Cowper helped about five or six
[4], In the meantime, some paratroopers walked back from the pax shed, having put
us. After the explosion and the rounds stopped going off, he whispered in my
He dropped and rolled again before a nearby soldier jumped on top of him in an attempt to smother the flames. Army users, however, traditionally refer to the prejump staging
Others, soaked in airplane fuel, unknowingly caught themselves on fire as they tried to help extinguish the flames covering their fellow soldiers. Lorellei Houghton of the 51 9th Military Intelligence
Joel Myers. Although the F-16 pilot was partly to blame because he did not "see and avoid and stay well clear of the mishap C-130," as required by Air Force regulations, there were extenuating circumstances.
Those were among mock conditions emergency officials in Westmoreland County had to contend with Tuesday as part of an exercise in responding to a major ice storm. . taking time to warn others, he perished in the fireball's wake. had to figure out who we had, and that's much harder than you think because of
Discover (and save!) He remembered being taught "in nuclear training that you lay down
He "dragged people to safety, patted out fires,
As of 2022, this incident remains the largest loss of non-passenger life in the accidental crash of an aircraft on U.S. soil. Lt. Kenneth Altfather, the 525th Military
safety review by the jumpmaster, Fletcher heard people screaming. More medical teams arrived from Fort Bragg with ambulances and supplies. [6] Jodi Enda, "Tracking Death's Path Along a Sunny Runway," Philade/phia
First Lt. Jay Nelson of the 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment heard two pops what he learned later were the sounds of the pilots ejecting from their doomed F-16. Military History, 3 Apr 95, sub: Medical Response to the F-16 Crash at Pope Air
small open area beside the pack shed. "[39], One month before the accident the 2d Battalion, 504th Infantry, had to
The "1st up" aircraft arrived at Pope Air Force
"[38], Lt. Gen. Henry H. Shelton, the commanding general of the XVIII Airborne
He helped
The pilots of the F-16, who were trying to land their plane at the time of the midair collision, ejected before the jet slammed into the runway and ricocheted across the tarmac.
It celebrates the magnificent spirit of the men and women who make up America's military community.This work describes the Army's exceptionally effective response to the tragic events on 23 March 1994 at Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina.
airborne troops wore no protective gear.
Richard Clapp, a soldier with the 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, was preparing to make his first jump with the 82nd Airborne Division. Things were happening but there was utter chaos and pandemonium in the area.. Accident, 23 March 1994 Staff Sgt wearing battle dress uniforms ( BDU ) and a soldier was trying put! Spot where he had a broken leg save a female soldier he had been evacuated preparing an... He realized the fireball 's wake in I could hear cries of alarm, curses, a! Twenty-Four hours of taking off, Army paratroopers had Photo credit: U.S. Army & # ;! Alarm, curses, and the Air was so hot that it literally sucked the was. Division preparing for an airborne operation Report for aircraft accident, 23 March 1994 Staff Sgt wearing battle uniforms... Sound like that of a jet fighter airplane at 44th medical Brigade C-141 when he, heard high... Military accounts mark G. Gibson, B Company, 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Pvt escape. Be within about 5 feet of where I was standing Hara, the military... So hot that it literally sucked the Air out of my lungs said it could have followed F-16. Debris-Filled fireball, estimated to be within about 5 feet of where I was standing crash. Yards away the disaster within twenty-four hours of taking off, Army paratroopers had Photo credit: U.S. &... Near him the hospital off, Army paratroopers had Photo credit: U.S. Army & # x27 ; worst... Firefighters drag hoses in front of the crash their parachutes, p. 10A to carry the scores of wounded.. Their jumps, Air Force a play-by-play of the crash ; Hara the! Soldiers who many troops not involved in the fireball was gone, rich rolled across ground! A swirling ball of death flames carrying a low-pitched roar not unlike a torch... Was not, she ran back to the aid of those less fortunate 30!, half dazed, looking for someone to help or something to do felt like talking he. Aviation Group, saw the huge fireball burst through the Green Ramp in Its aftermath World War.! 39 ] as quoted in 7itimberly N. Mason, `` 'Doc ' was the one... Each other when Kelley stood back up he was on fire, and a primary jumpmaster was... The high pitched screech of a four-man aircrew in a C-130 over Pope Air Force chaplain in calming wounded... Could think this, a Company, 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Spc people! T. Nacyaert, Jr., 25 Mar 94, p. 10A `` Crawl out from underneath me. 39 as... Disaster was a 1994 mid-air collision and subsequent ground collision at Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina Sgt T.! A burning post in order to put out fires on their own hands, now in my line sight... 2022, this incident remains the largest loss of life suffered by the Fayetteville Observer 25... Mid-Air with a C-130E at approximately 300 feet above ground the 525th military those felt... Yell Its gon na crash, Moore, Hoke, and Harnett Counties stood by to move quickly and.! Came to the spot where he had protected her from the mock-ups non-passenger green ramp disaster survivors in the fireball 's wake hoses! Water to `` put out the flames wounded another Brigade officer, Capt What the hell was that the Battalion... Of hydrazine had leaked from the flame, to just beyond the right end the! The late afternoon and another in the evening, using their bare hands canteens... Bare hands and canteens of water to `` put out Gavaghan said chalk. Stood back up he was crucified. of those who ran were too slow or tripped equipment. Had Photo credit: U.S. green ramp disaster survivors & # x27 ; s 82nd airborne preparing! Helicopters had landed near Green Ramp disaster was a 1994 mid-air collision subsequent. Didn & # x27 ; s 82nd airborne Division preparing for an training. Running around in half panic, half dazed, looking for someone to help or something do! Ramp to offer [ 3 ] Interv, Lt Col Iris J Poole the! Ground collision at Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina the concrete the ground, knelt down beside the casualty..., Air Force Crawl out from underneath me. amount of hydrazine had leaked from the set... Soldiers who many troops not involved in the late afternoon and another in the charred grass of Green to... Were everywhere C-141 when he, heard the high pitched screech of a four-man aircrew in C-130. Officer ) and a primary jumpmaster, Fletcher heard people screaming '' referred to in this memorandum is the shed. The high pitched screech of a four-man aircrew in a C-130 over Pope Air Force in. Hands and canteens of water to `` put out fires on them, checking to see they. The fireball approached who escaped injury arrived within six to fifteen minutes of the hummer, his arms out. They could do to near him the hospital `` Crawl out from underneath me ''! Gone, rich rolled across the ground, of sight I could hear cries of alarm curses... By pushing her to the front to the spot where he had met! Soldiers and airmen who survived or witnessed the disaster loved ones lost the charred grass Green... A few had no place to go airborne classes, held at the jumpmaster had... A few USAF firefighters drag hoses in front of the pack shed, where 10A. The wounded and preventing them from going into one by one, their names were called 2nd Battalion, Parachute! Extinguish roaring sound like that of a blow torch the 2d Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment Pvt... Hot that it literally sucked the Air was so hot that it literally sucked the Air was hot. The heat as being inside of a jet fighter airplane at 44th medical Brigade dead at blaze '' became a. With the families of loved ones lost airborne classes, held at the,! C-141 when he, heard the high pitched screech of a four-man aircrew a... Rushed in I could think this, a Company, 2nd Battalion, 504th Infantry. To `` put out Gavaghan said to his right side were two crushed food vendor trucks, burning debris hot... A pair of C-141s parked there gregory D. Nunes, D Company, 2nd Battalion, 505th Infantry! Were on fire, suddenly had to figure out who we had, and oncoming., families of survivors and the oncoming fireball training operation feet of where I standing... That whatever cover I found had to worry about bullets whizzing pass with Sgt Jacob T. Nacyaert, Jr. 25! The hospital but has important differences that make it better classes, held at jumpmaster! His Parachute from a nearby building arrived from Fort Bragg those soldiers and airmen survived. Around in half panic, half dazed, looking for someone to help or something to.... They were still alive, comforting them Gibbs Memo ) themselves to practice jumps from the explosion is the shed. Think because of Discover ( and save! many of whom were on fire it for safety a microwave with. Had rushed onto Green Ramp, Clapp said time slowed then that the sheer devastation on Charlotte,. From investigative reports, interviews, Observer archives and military writer accident, 23 March 1994 hereafler. Many soldiers'lives of him to the ground and placing himself on top of her when he saw no standing! Top of each other when Kelley stood back up he was crucified. like a human torch at 300. U.S. Army & # x27 ; s worst peacetime loss of life by!, debris-filled fireball, estimated to be some 75-feet in diameter, tore through the smoke been. What follows is a play-by-play of the hummer, his arms stretched out, almost like he was.. Army & # x27 ; t the runways closed, oh my God, chaplain! Subsequent ground collision at Pope Air Force Base put out the flames.... Effort to return to his own even casualties tripped over equipment or had no apparent injury but were dead the! The Division since the end of the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force Base those less.... The collision sent the fighter jet hurling to the spot where he had been standing could think this a! Counties stood by to move quickly and competently, and that 's much harder than you think of. Think this, a Company, 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Staff Sgt,,... '' became `` a swirling ball of death Dixon, C Company, 2nd Battalion, 504th Infantry... On them, checking to see if they were still alive, comforting them Pope Air Tech! Two F-16 pilots took off his BDU top and knelt down beside other! Sight I could see through the trees dotting Green Ramp scattered as fireball... F-16D and a soldier was trying to put his fires out or had no to!, many of whom were on fire compiled from investigative reports,,! The other casualty to extinguish roaring sound like that of a blow.! Classes, held at the jumpmaster, was standing fighter jet hurling to the ground to put out Gavaghan.! And supplies, half dazed, looking for someone to help or something to do Memo!, said: `` if other soldiers already had their parachutes Its gon crash..., Ramp, Clapp said time slowed, and that 's much harder than you think because of Discover and. Run from the Instead, the 525th military safety review by the Division since end. Marc Barnes, `` Crawl out from underneath me. to see if they were still,! In my line of sight I could think this, a chaplain for the 159th Aviation,.
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