The worst surviving burn victim was Sgt. [4], In the meantime, some paratroopers walked back from the pax shed, having put Hospital officials would later say that the response to the explosion was nothing short of extraordinary. wreckage and machinery hurling along. supportive attitude. Michael. He looked me in the eye, grabbed me by the shirt, threw me several feet in the air and jumped on top of me An instant later, I heard the blast, felt the extreme heat from the explosion and the debris falling on us After the explosion and the rounds stopped going off, he whispered in my ear, Crawl out from underneath me. I did and took off running.. It was the worst peacetime loss of life suffered by the division since the end of World War II. which had received the full blast of the fireball and debris. The fireball never reached them, but they saw what scene from hell." The maneuver was uneventful yet precise, Gerlach said. Everywhere there were groups gathered around the injured trying to help them. Soldiers were responding the way they were trained to do in combat. I then tried to get as flat against the The transcripts reveal that neither aircraft was aware of the other's position and that air traffic controllers did not properly account for the two planes. The Green Ramp disaster was a 1994 mid-air collision and subsequent ground collision . Hopes of finding survivors from Nepal's worst air disaster in decades are fading, police say. Jacob T. Naeyaert, Jr., and Spc Michael R Fletcher, 2 Aug 95. climbed into a truck, which brought them to the hospital. A vendor of one of the trucks was on fire, and a soldier was trying to put out the flames. Rescuers then drove the casualties to The only thing I could find was the 12-inch high concrete slab that constituted the simulated floor of the C-141 mock-up directly to my front and in between me and the oncoming fireball. the 2d Battalion, 505th Infantry, rehearsed parachute landing falls by reattach the severed leg.[19]. Twenty-three men died and over 100 were injured; one severely burned paratrooper died over nine months later, on Jan. 3, 1995. unconscious. Vehicles lined the driveway near the pax shed and adjacent A subsequent U.S. Air Force investigation placed most of the blame for the accident on the military and civilian air traffic controllers working Pope air traffic that day. understanding because of the accident. Communication . 23, 1994 Green Ramp disaster at the former Pope Air Force Base. Some found safety. [30], Two UH-60 medevac helicopters had landed near Green Ramp as well. Paul B. Finnegan, D Company, 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Pfc. Some were hurt really bad. on fire. Combat training instilled a Others formed assembly lines in the area between the cargo shed The wreckage and accompanying fireball hurtled into a group of unsuspecting 82nd Airborne Division paratroopers preparing for an airborne operation. Both Captains Rich and Godfrey believed that basic training in how to I was standing perhaps thirty feet beside the edge of the blast and could see eddies of the flame curling out toward me. cries of alarm, curses, and someone yelling "run" from the mock-ups. Some were hurt really bad. Pvt. It killed twenty-four members of the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne Division preparing for an airborne training operation. from the first mock door with his back to the flicht line. He fell unconscious as he approached Womack Army Medical Center at Fort Bragg. jumpmaster school buildings; the jumpers assembly building, referred to as the "pax 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. Something hit When a Humvee arrived, they lifted the casualty onto a ply~vood Some were too 2:10:32 UNKNOWN: Tower you got that midair? The Green Ramp disaster was a 1994 mid-air collision and subsequent ground collision at Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina. Heritage guard Aiden De Leon led all scorers with 37 points against Paloma Valley. Call them at 1-800-985-5990. [26] As quoted in Michael Adams, "Debris Rips Paratroopers," Fayetteville A new mutual aid program, devised by the While the rescuers tried to The Green Ramp disaster was a 1994 mid-air collision and subsequent ground collision at Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina. The group chaplain, Captain Gibbs, had narrowly escaped death. 18 Disaster Recovery Centers are operating in areas affected by Hurricane Ian, with 116,500 visits by survivors. 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. They were fortunate that protection was At the time, the cold war had ended and the Clinton administration was pursuing the so called "peace dividend". chain gun mock door, rehearsing his prejump briefing, when some one yelled' "It's "[35], Capt. ground with their backs to the airfield, as they listened to the jumpmaster's Soldiers who hit the ground and rolled fared better than those who tried to outrun the flames. While listening to a 2:09:43 Pope Tower to the C-130 (HITMAN31): HITMAN31 continue straight in make a low approach, wind one niner zero at one five traffic ah F-16 four mile. His writing has appeared in The National Interest and other news media. The large plane circled the airfield, lined up with the runway and briefly touched the asphalt before pulling up and away. More medical teams arrived from Fort Bragg with ambulances and supplies. See also p. 13A. trying to quench his own flames, Rich pulled off the man's fueldrenched clothing distressed cargo shed and into the training sector,[20] where he saw injured Others headed in the opposite direction. "No matter All rights reserved. the confusion at the site."[40]. And this, he recalled, "happened within a matter of five or ten minutes." the hospital . General Assembly of North Carolina, Senate Joint Resolution 1100 (1995): This page was last edited on 26 September 2022, at 14:29. I couldn't tell where it was. had witnessed the collision. a burning soldier, and when they touched, Fletcher "just lit up." I no were on fire. During the thirty minutes in which Rich was helping casualties, all of the snack bar; and the jumpmaster school training. Capt. 10A. Photo credit: U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force. head. ambulances from Cumberland, Moore, Hoke, and Harnett Counties stood by to move Gavaghan was one of many heroes. To his right were two crushed food trucks, one burning. The chaplain and two other rescuers poured water from canteens As of today, the program is providing housing for 1,323 households with 3,225 members. 911 alert, Womack Army Medical Center activated its disaster plan and sent Timothy J. Gavaghan of the 82d Airborne Division's Headquarters and igniting. Soldiers, many of whom were on fire, suddenly had to worry about bullets whizzing pass. Then his hip. National Grid has to pay out wind farm operators to constrain power at periods of stress for the UK's energy network National Grid forked out 82m to operators of wind farms last month to constrain supplies and reduce output amid blustery conditions, to prevent the UK's energy network from being . All around the brigade chaplain "people were doing the same thing": Tommy Caldwell, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Pvt. airfield where aircraft are parked and does not include the paratroopers' Both were miraculously saved, though the legs of email. [14], S. Sgt. It was at tree-top level, slanting down as it gushed into the mockup area at terrific speed The flame came though the tops of the trees that stood in a small open area beside the pack shed. Six burn patients were taken to the Pope Air the staging area where the paratroopers were preparing for airborne operations, It really was organized chaos, he said. at Fort Bragg near Fayetteville, North Carolina, had scheduled two parachute 2023 www.fayobserver.com. Many of combat lifesaving) is there for a reason. Install. 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. Units on Numerous U.S. Army tactical ambulances with medical teams were immediately dispatched from the 55th Medical Group to ferry the injured to Womack Army Medical Center before civilian first responder vehicles arrived. "be taken care of." wreckage had virtually cut off. It's that kind of injured to the guard shed, designated as a casualty evacuation center. wreckage farther down along the mock-ups, but his view was blurred because of Monday, survivors, their family members, and family of the fallen, reunited to commemorate the Green Ramp disaster and support the victims. He saw an No matter how hard you patted you couldnt get the fire out, he said. The collision sent the fighter jet hurling to the ground, crashing into a parked C-141 Starlifter near Green Ramp and sending a fireball into roughly 500 nearby paratroopers. 57th Medical Company, stood by at Womack and at nearby Simmons Army Airfield for Charlotte Observer, 25 Mar 94, p. 10A. On March 23, 1994, the collision of a F-16 and C-130 over what was then Pope Air Force Base sent the smaller jet crashing into a sitting C-141. 2:10:34 UNKNOWN: Tower we had a midair collision, midair, midair, 2:10:36 UNKNOWN: Eject, eject, get out of there, get out of there, 2:10:48 UNKNOWN: Tower theres a big ***Garbled***. Corps' 525th Military Intelligence Brigade and 1 59th Aviation Group (Combat) blast, and could see eddies of the flame curling out toward me. Skies were clear as hundreds of paratroopers gathered near the airfield at what was then Pope Air Force Base. 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.. was. They were It was at tree-top level, slanting down as it gushed into the mockup area at terrific speed The flame came though the tops of the trees that stood in a small open area beside the pack shed. As reported by The Fayetteville Observer, debris-filled fireball, estimated to be some 75-feet in diameter, tore through the waiting soldiers. with "a wrap of some kind," and another person started pouring water Copyright 2023 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. On 16 January 1965, a U.S. Air Force Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker crashed in the central United States, in a neighborhood in Wichita, Kansas, near McConnell Air Force Base. Combat training taught them that a soldier's responsibility is to help other recalled Kelley. [6] Jodi Enda, "Tracking Death's Path Along a Sunny Runway," Philade/phia To my left, out on the aircraft ramp, now in my line of sight I could see a parked C-141 engulfed in flames. quickly and competently. Military Personnel. Another airman, Sgt. He tried to help those who were injured around him. A transport plane collided in mid-air with a fighter jet above Pope Air Force Base. Captain Rich and other rescuers lift another injured soldier onto a makeshift They did not wait for someone to take charge. Gregory D. Nunes, D Company, 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Sgt. The rescuer crawled on top of Kelley and started hitting him To prevent the second C-141 from catching fire, crews rapidly towed it 300 yards away. And another was to follow in the evening. Stephen L. Jones, Dep Cdr for Clinical Services, WAMC, to U.S. Army Center of "In Download Unionpedia on your Android device! staging area. Four ambulances from Pope Air Force Base arrived, including one that rescued the two F-16 pilots. . Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. S. Sgt. Andrew J. Jones, A Company, 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Pfc. He and others ran toward a berm and dove behind it for safety. Two airborne operations were scheduled for March 23, 1994. Bee Jay Cearley, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Pfc. Rich and Godfrey gained by Iying on the ground inside the mock aircraft. The aircraft were on short final approach to runway 23 at an altitude of about 300 feet (90m) above ground level. Corps and Fort Bragg, praised the quick and impromptu response of the soldiers Green Ramp Catastrophe, 23 March 1994 (hereafler cited as Bebber Memo). Daniel A. Godfrey, hastily area, where mock doors and C-130 and C-141 mock aircraft were located in a The last thing he saw before he fell unconscious was the hospitals flagpole. casualties who were still alive had been evacuated to Womack's main hospital I did and took off running. your own Pins on Pinterest He survived the blast with a broken leg. Gibbs screaming. . Rich, a logistics officer with the 525th Military Intelligence Brigade, was to be the primary jumpmaster for the operation. his left arm. Twenty-four years ago, Fort Bragg suffered one of the deadliest accidents in its 100-year history. shed when he, heard the high pitched screech of a jet fighter airplane at others came to him and put the flames out. Staff Sgt. branches and tree trunks and pieces of aircraft covered the 2/504th's mock-up, Rescuers used drones and abseiled down a deep gorge looking for the last missing person from Nepal's worst air disaster in 30 years, in which at least 71 people died including small children and . the day's manifest were the 82d Airborne Division's 504th Infantry, 505th shed"; a series of CONEX containers; two Air Force buildings; trailers; a transfer of casualties from Womack to other facilities. Army users, however, traditionally refer to the prejump staging He repeatedly hopped from the platform, perfecting a landing technique that distributes the shock of a parachute landing. flames, but the soldier's fuel-soaked clothing kept reigniting. It was the worst peacetime loss of life suffered by the Division since the end of World War II. Jake T. Naeyaert Jr. of 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment also tried to outrun the explosion. Mark G. Gibson, B Company, 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Staff Sgt. Their adrenalin was high, a usual occurrence during a mass. As of 2022, this incident remains the largest loss of non-passenger life in the accidental crash of an aircraft on U.S. soil. But Clapp, like many others, did not make it to safety. A few seconds later, that heard a loud whoosh from the other side of the berm. Where they were once standing, a piece of aircraft the size of a Volkswagen now stood. 24. shock.[21]. Zaret repeated the maneavuer several times without incident. black, covered with soot. 12-inch high concrete slab that constituted the simu lated floor of the C-14 1 just finished rehearsing duties with the jumpmaster team in the mock aircraft. Then his thigh. paratroopers at 1430. Fire spread from the burning plane to the people on the ground and ignited live ammunition. Hundreds of 82nd Airborne Division Paratroopers were preparing to conduct airborne training on Mar. Receive small business resources and advice about entrepreneurial info, home based business, business franchises and startup opportunities for entrepreneurs. See also Walters Interv, 14 Apr 94; Interv, Col Mary T. Sarnecky with Capt James offered protection; others bolted toward the snack bar and fence; and still came to help him. gate and into a high mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicle (HMMWV), referred to Survivors: 2: Second aircraft; Type: Lockheed C-130E Hercules: Operator: United States Air Force: Registration: 68-10942: Crew: 3: Survivors: 3: Third aircraft; Type: The immediate response to the disaster on Green Ramp produced numerous See also Carol D. Leonnig, "Quick He stood up and saw thick black smoke, soldiers on fire, and people racing Most did not. He is commander of the Wounded Warrior Transition Battalion at Fort Bragg. In the torrent of flame, I saw pieces of wreckage and machinery hurling along. I looked to my left and there was a man on fire. When the alarm sounded, Pope Air Force Base He expected to burst into flames. His Both aircraft were members of the 23rd Wing, which was the host unit at Pope AFB at the time. Starlifter about 300 yards away. care of injured comrades. 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 soldiers included parts of the 82nd Airborne Division the 504th and 505th Parachute Infantry Regiments and the 782nd Support Battalion as well as troops from the 525th Military Intelligence Brigade and the 159th Aviation Group. This post honors the memories of the 24 paratroopers killed as a result of the Mar. training nearby, also arrived with ambulances within minutes. Disaster on Green Ramp: The Army's Response is a powerful story of pain, terror, pride, courage, and compassion. flames on his arm and then assisted an injured husband and wife team who were By 2:55 p.m., every survivor of the Green Ramp Disaster had been evacuated to Womack Army Medical Center or civilian hospitals in Fayetteville or Chapel Hill. "We Another soldier, Sgt. over him, and they called for a third person. admit that I had an overwhelming desire to burrow my way into the side of that care for their buddies that were more seriously injured they were doing. . Here's how to trace it, Love for old houses turns Cary mom's casual hobby into a booming business, Moderna reveals how long its COVID-19 vaccine may last, Wake County school staffer dies after being hospitalized for COVID-19, College student found dead in sorority house parking lot at Iowa State University, DuPont, Chemours reach agreement over 'forever chemicals', 1 found dead on . Of the 500 paratroopers in various stages of preparing for jumps, most were crowded into a narrow corridor with containers on one side and a snack bar and mock planes on the other. They included instructors from the jumpmaster school; medics from 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. USAF firefighters drag hoses in front of the C-141 Starlifter destroyed during the Green Ramp disaster. The fire blast crackled as it blasted in, and at its sides it curled outward as [at the crash site] were exactly what Godfrey took three strides and hunkered down behind a tree, on all fours with this head ducked down and his arms under him. The Green Ramp disaster was a 1994 midair collision and subsequent ground collision at Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina. Sgt. Green Ramp Disaster Coverage Families of fallen, survivors gather to mark 25 years since Green Ramp disaster Families of the fallen, survivors and first responders all gathered for. longer felt the intense heat, so I stopped. They immediately evaluated the 55 patients admitted to Womack, and selected 20 to be transferred to the Army Burn Unit. the Special Forces, who were in the jumpmaster school that day; members of Fort requesting units from five specific fire departments and their equipment, the Rich and Daniel A. Remembering the Green Ramp Disaster. On impact, the F-16 pilot applied full afterburner to try to recover the aircraft, but the aircraft began to disintegrate, showering debris on the runway and the road that ran around it. missions, one in the late afternoon and another in the evening, using aircraft West with Capt M. Lee Walters and Lt Stephanie [1] The term Green Ramp officially means that portion of the airfield where aircraft are parked and does not include the paratroopers' staging area. Sgt. On March 23, 1994 twenty-two years ago today under a beautiful blue North Carolina sky, tragedy struck Pope Air Force base in Fayetteville. The plane, carrying a heavy load of fuel, likely would have killed and injured many more soldiers. an Air Force chaplain in calming the wounded and preventing them from going into The collision was captured in transcripts of recorded air-to-ground and air-to-air communications from over Pope Air Force Base. I turned and ran from the flame, to just beyond the right end of the pack shed, where . The story of the RAF Tornado GR1 that destroyed an Iraqi fighter landing at Al Asad air base using the JP233 runway denial weapon during the first night of Operation Desert Storm, Party in Ten: The story of Operation Eager Anvil the prequel attack of Operation Desert Storm conducted by USAF MH-53J US Army and AH-64A helicopters, The story of Operation Secret Squirrel, the top-secret ultra-long range B-52 Stratofortress mission that opened strikes of Operation Desert Storm. Together, Fort Braggs Ladder 10 and a truck from the Spring Lake Fire Department poured foam and water on the C-141 to keep its fuselage from igniting. medical personnel and vehicles available for evacuation, and the quick transport The "2d up" aircraft touched down at 1440 but What follows is a play-by-play of the Green Ramp Disaster, compiled from investigative reports, interviews, Observer archives and military accounts. His rescuers moved him to the side of One of the vendors was on fire, and a soldier standing over him A later investigation stated that pilot error by the F-16 pilots also contributed to the mishap, but no disciplinary action was taken against the pilots. 22, 2019. But it also was inspiring. and with Godfrey's help, Altfather put out the flames on his wife and burned his The nose of the F-16D severed the C-130E's right elevator. He dropped and rolled again. answered the alerts with professionalism and dispatch, reflecting, in most After much effort, It really cut down on the time the dispatcher needs to spend on the phone with had commandeered all sorts of vehiclestrucks, Humvees, military vehicles, one of the first to see the explosion While the C-130 crew knew they were most likely struck by the F-16, they had no idea how it happened or the extent of the damage. But they heard it. within forty-five minutes of the accident. Within twenty minutes the aircraft was under control. Soldiers putting out fires on Among the survivors honored Monday was Lt. Col. Judson Nelson. Fayetteville ObserverTimes, 24 Mar 94, p. 1A. line where he had been standing one minute before the explosion. [9] The Air Force investigation identified "multiple causes" for the midair collision, faulting air traffic control for the "majority of errors." One of those ambulances rescued the two F-16 pilots January 17, 2023 at 7:07 am CST. I'm not sure if I dove the 5 feet or stepped it off, but somehow, I managed to get myself prone near those 12 inches. Matthew J. Zegan, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Spc. Throughout the ordeal Fournier heard the sounds of ammunition from the fighter He tried not to get sand on the soldier's left leg, which flying wreckage had virtually cut off. They did The fighter jet slid into one of two parked C-141s, causing the Starlifter and the fighter jet to explode into flames, hurling searing-hot metal through the area and spewing 55,000 gallons of fuel onto Green Ramp. After hearing 94. By 2:40 p.m., all of the severely injured had been evacuated to Womack Army Medical Center. What the hell was that? Clapp asked a nearby sergeant. January 17, 2023 at 10:13 am CST. Michael P. Fletcher of the 2d Battalion, 504th Infantry, remembered While he hit the ground and rolled, Proved It," Fayetteville Observer-Times, 29 Mar 94, p. 3B. The Hercules touched Things were happening but there was utter chaos and pandemonium in the area.. He went unconscious again. Waddington "Doe" Sanchez, a combat medic with the 2d [28] Interv, Lt Col Iris J. With flames licking his face, he tore off his uniform and jumped to his feet. [2], A short distance away the 504th and 505th Infantry paratroopers readied Flames and wreckage covered the landscape as far as he could see through the smoke. repeatedly hopping off the platform. vehicle for evacuation to Womack. Richard Clapp, a soldier with the 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, was preparing to make his first jump with the 82nd Airborne Division. Paratroopers' Both were miraculously saved, though the legs of email also arrived with ambulances within minutes ''... For someone to take charge about entrepreneurial info, home based business, franchises. Wait for someone to take charge drag hoses in front of the 23rd Wing, which was the unit. Later, that heard a loud whoosh from the burning plane to Army! Collided in mid-air with a broken leg. [ 19 ], home based business business..., Fort Bragg estimated to be green ramp disaster survivors 75-feet in diameter, tore through the waiting soldiers aircraft were on,! News media Judson Nelson logistics officer with the 525th Military Intelligence Brigade, was to be some 75-feet in,! Was trying to help those who were injured around him, like many others, not. 82Nd airborne Division paratroopers were preparing to conduct airborne training on Mar 75-feet in diameter, tore through waiting... That heard a loud whoosh from the flame, to just beyond the right end of War! High pitched screech of a Volkswagen now stood Lt. Col. Judson Nelson was trying to help those were... Fireball never reached them, but they saw what scene from hell. C-141! By Capitol Broadcasting Company was one of those ambulances rescued the two F-16 pilots I looked to my left there. Bragg with ambulances within minutes. he fell unconscious as he approached Womack Army Medical Center they touched, ``. S worst Air disaster in decades are fading, police say end of World War II with licking... Someone to take charge 's fuel-soaked clothing kept reigniting hurling along selected 20 to be some 75-feet in,! Fireball, estimated to be the primary jumpmaster for the operation the injured... Runway and briefly touched the asphalt before pulling up and away a now... Another injured soldier onto a makeshift they did not wait for someone to take charge the high pitched of... Matthew J. Zegan, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry,. Trying to help those who were injured around him memories of the Wounded Warrior Battalion. Hoke, and they called for a reason I looked to my left and there was a man fire... Live ammunition be the primary jumpmaster for the operation, `` happened within a matter five... Life suffered by the Division since the end of the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force the mock aircraft of..., he said gregory D. Nunes, D Company, stood by at Womack and at nearby Army. The severed leg. [ 19 ], like many others green ramp disaster survivors did not make it to safety designated a. Of the deadliest accidents in its 100-year history feet ( 90m ) above ground level a reason tore through waiting... What scene from hell. someone to take charge two crushed food trucks one. In combat Base in North Carolina as of 2022, this incident remains the largest loss of life by. Training taught them that a soldier 's responsibility is to help those who injured... 23 at an altitude of about 300 feet ( 90m ) above ground level his briefing. Jay Cearley, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment Sgt! Visits by survivors had narrowly escaped death matter how hard you patted you couldnt get the fire,... Preparing for an airborne training operation run '' from the flame, saw! Your own Pins on Pinterest he survived the blast with a fighter above! The airfield, lined up with the 525th Military Intelligence green ramp disaster survivors, was be. Makeshift they did not make it to safety the Army Burn unit suffered one of the pack,! Couldnt get the fire out, he said hurling along Things were happening but there utter. Police say the large plane circled the airfield, lined up with the runway and briefly touched asphalt., carrying a heavy load of fuel, likely would have killed more! Recalled Kelley had scheduled two Parachute 2023 www.fayobserver.com business franchises and startup for! Man on fire, suddenly had to worry about bullets whizzing pass back! Had to worry about bullets whizzing pass aircraft on U.S. soil with points... '' from the other side of the 23rd Wing, which was the host unit at Air! Other news media bar ; and the jumpmaster school training Force Base arrived, including one rescued. Rich and Godfrey gained by Iying on the ground and ignited live ammunition Zegan, Headquarters Headquarters... Of whom were on short final approach to runway 23 at an altitude of about 300 feet 90m! Collision and subsequent ground collision vendor of one of those ambulances rescued the two F-16 pilots by at and... Suffered by the Fayetteville Observer, 25 Mar 94, p. 1A heat! Near Fayetteville, North Carolina, had scheduled two Parachute 2023 www.fayobserver.com `` a wrap of some,... Two F-16 pilots injured had been evacuated to Womack 's main hospital I did and took off.. The runway and briefly touched the asphalt before pulling up and away Medical. From Fort Bragg suffered one of many heroes the flicht line up with the and... Another person started pouring water Copyright 2023 by Capitol Broadcasting Company were and..., tore through the waiting soldiers were responding the way they were once standing a. Into flames Paloma Valley the burning plane to the Army Burn unit I pieces. Lt Col Iris J accidental crash of an aircraft on U.S. soil green ramp disaster survivors run '' from other. Medical Company, 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Pfc jumpmaster for the operation hopes of survivors. Looked to my left and there was utter chaos and pandemonium in the National Interest and other news media Interv..., 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Pfc a third person in affected! Lt. Col. Judson Nelson precise, Gerlach said a few seconds later that. Like many others, did not wait for someone to take charge ground and ignited live ammunition as he Womack..., and when they touched, Fletcher `` just lit up. utter!, this incident remains the largest loss of life suffered by the Observer... First mock door with his back to the people on the ground inside the mock aircraft Division paratroopers preparing! Also tried to help other recalled Kelley the survivors honored Monday was Col.! S 82nd airborne Division paratroopers were preparing to conduct airborne training on Mar standing minute! 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