The Green Ramp Disaster | A Short Documentary | Fascinating Horror
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 25 ก.ค. 2024
- "On the 23rd of March, 1994, two military aircraft collided while approaching Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina..."
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CHAPTERS:
00:00 - Intro
00:39 - Background
01:40 - The Green Ramp Disaster
07:39 - The Aftermath
MUSIC:
► "Glass Pond" by Public Memory
SOURCES:
► “Disaster on Green Ramp: The Army’s Response” by Mary Ellen Condon-Rall, published by the Center of Military History, April 1996. Link: books.google.co.uk/books/abou...
► "'It did not defeat us': Fort Bragg remembers deadly Green Ramp disaster" by Martha Quillin, published by Stars and Stripes, March 2014. Available via: web.archive.org/web/201403251...
► "16 Killed when F-16, C-130 collide at Pope" by Emergy P Dalesio, published by the Wilmington Morning Star, March 1994. Available via: news.google.com/newspapers?id...
► "Clinton meets with victims" published by the Wilmington Morning Star, March 1994. Available via: news.google.com/newspapers?id...
Aircraft Accident Report by Vincent J Santillo, published by the US Air Force, June 1994. Available via: www.nrc.gov/docs/ML0302/ML030...
#Documentary #History #TrueStories
![BOWKYLION - เจ้านายคะ (work-life imbalance) [Official MV]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/6bFj8G2pOi4/mqdefault.jpg)
Imagine running in to help your friends not knowing you're covered in fuel and suddenly getting set on fire yourself... terrifying.
Reminds me of how horrible methanol fires are, like alcohol you can barely see it burn unless it's dark or night. So you could be patting yourself screaming you're burning and people might just think you're crazy, or worse believe you and put you out, then you re-light and they ignore you thinking they already put you out.
You could also unknowingly be doused in fuel and light up trying to put others out, and once again no one would immediately know you're now on fire as well.
You can see footage of this actually happening in a pit-stop fire during a race resulting from a fuel leak/spillage, when refueling a car a pit crewman fumbled the hose spraying race fuel all over the pit crew and hot engine block which then ignites. IIRC everyone survived.
Fate can be a b*tch sometime when things like this to happen
This is one of these disasters where everyone involved tries their best to avoid tragedy but fate has other plans...
The final destination of air disasters
You didn’t pay attention did you. It’s just another example of complete human negligence that has, unfortunately, become rampant in today’s military.
@@kevinwebster7868 I don't really see why you would think that way. Sure, putting an untrained solider on direction duty is negligent, but apart from this, all I have seen in this video are people trying in vain to do damage control, so I don't see what you mean.
Sounds like complacency to me.
@@PrinzPassionsfrucht "the untrained soldier"? Which one? the ATC handover protocols ignored by superior officers, their inability to correct miscued radar and tagging updates, the Capt of the f-16 that ejected unsafely. Why you only want to place blame on the lowest-serving member in this scenario. You're part of the exact problem Kevin speaks about. "We have removed that one controller who caused the crash, sir. Should be 0 other issues with planes from now on."
I was at Ft. Bragg when this happened, I was working at the blood donor center of Womack army hospital and witnessed the planes collide and then the huge fireball. There were 30 to 40 ft pine trees between me and the crash and the fireball went way higher than the trees. I notified the staff to get ready for a masscal event. It was a really bad day.😢
You saw the crash from the old hospital?
@@jk-76 yes I was on the 3rd floor at the blood donor center break room.
I was there as well. C Co 27th Engineer Battalion.
Thank you Army medics & staff‼️👍🏻
It's always shocking to hear other people who were either there personally or lost someone in the accident.
My dad tragically lost his life.
He wasn't even supposed to be there.
He filled in for a buddy who couldn't do the jump in order to, oddly enough, go to Womack for his wife's emergency delivery.
I remember the crystal clear blue skies that warm spring day and this came out of nowhere. We were doing a lot of ITC training in preparation for what was going to be a jump into and invasion of Haiti, but Cèdras capitulated while we were enroute, so we ended up just doing a 180 and flew back to Pope before jumping into Port Au Prince International Airport (September 17th. 1994). Still, I’m sure that training helped towards saving many lives that day.
2/504th 1992-1996
RIP to our fallen brothers.
Highest regards, and respects.
Training saves lives. You hope a fire never happens, but when it does anyway, everyone needs to know what they're doing.
@@foo219 We used to say that the more you sweat in training. the less you bleed in combat.
This scenario here proves how good training saves lives. The military and civilians trained together, the hospital had gone through training so they could handle the triage and treatments. Any loss of life in situations like this is terrible, but you could have lost so many more.
@@kathyjones1576 Yes, the response from all the resources (our own instinctively acting as initial first responders, along with all the resources that came from Pope airmen, other Bragg soldiers, and even local civilian resources) was a silver lining.
I think the big thing that isn’t mentioned is that paratroopers carry ALOT of gear on them before they jump. To the point they waddle like penguins. Now imagine seeing all of that coming towards you and the only thing you can do is try the hardest you can to get away. It was a sad fate for alot of these men.
Actually showed at 1:25
What an incredible response. Good on all of the response teams for taking their responsilibities so seriously even before such a terrible accident. Complacency takes lives and they made sure it didn't take any extra.
I suspect the quick response and good coordination was partly the result of the Ramstein air show disaster of 1988, where general confusion, lack of coordination and compatible equipment likely cost extra lives. But the lessons learned helped to save lives later during this disaster.
@@CoraBuhlert Wow, I was just trying to think of that accident the other day and I couldn't remember the year/location! My parents were both in the Air Force stationed in Germany in the late 80's, and I was trying to ask my dad if he remembered it happening. Thank you for the brain blast. What a weird coincidence!
I served under one of the guys who survived this- he's got scars all over, but still did 20+ years.
This is a prime example of how consistent training leads to excellent reactions.
This is absolutely crazy to see this on here. My dad was in the 82nd Airborne division and a ranger and was supposed to be on one of the C-130s for some jumps that day. My dad can recall the numerous calls he had to put out to families while helping around. He’s told me it’s really stuck with him and I think why he has some ptsd. Lost a lot of friends. Still has the magazine clip posted up on his work wall. My mother was also there in reception. Such an unfortunate disaster. Just one plane did all that.
Same with my dad he had been called away just 5 minutes or so before it happened. I was at school and mom came and got me so we wen to the support group to see what we could do to help the others.
& it wasn't even the pilots’s faults. The f-16 tried to avoid the collision but it was too late
Sorry to hear, Glad he is alive. BTW, its called a Magazine, not a clip. M1 Garand is the only weapon that uses a "clip".
@@DVincentW omg one of these about mags and clips people I’m talking about the news paper magazine.
@@DVincentWmeos dad almost dies : Umm its assscully not a clip 👆🤓 and also your wrong the M1 Garand is not the only gun to use a clip some other examples are the Mannlicher M1894, Lee-Enfield,Ross Rifle,SKS and way more
I joined in 1997 and did several jumps from Green Ramp. My 1SG and platoon sergeant were both there on that day. They said it was the worst thing they've seen outside of war
Were you at Warhorse? I was 82nd and worked with a stryker brigade for operation Arrowhead Ripper in Baqubah. I think it was your unit. I was infantry.
@@stephenschenider4007 oh hell. Yeah, I was there. 3-2 SBCT. 5-73 CAV, right?
@@Existntlangst Cant remember the details but I think so lol. I seen your upload and was there in 06-07. Small world haha.(I was 2/505th PIR)
It was the 82nd’s greatest lost since WW2 when this occurred. Just out of curiosity, do you know what battalion and/or company either of them were in?
Thank you for covering this. Longtime North Carolinian fan here. So many people have NO idea this horrible accident even happened. I appreciate you highlighting some more ‘obscure’ cases.
Those response teams though! Obviously it's still a tragedy but it's amazing that the response was so swift and efficient. Not all disasters get such great care afterwards.
Sounds like the Army at least applied some of the lessons they learned from the Ramstein air show disaster
@@esteemedmortal5917good point on this I didn’t even think bout it like that
Fayetteville native here, I remember when this happened. Everyone I knew were shocked but not surprised such an accident occurred as many didn’t think having a fast jet like the F-16 operating around slow moving transport aircraft was a good idea. At the time, the Air Force wanted to use the fighters as close air support and was coordinating with 82nd to test this out. After the accident, they pulled the Falcons off base and a few years later placed a squadron of A-10s at Pope for the CAS role.
Fun fact, When the A-10s left Pope in 07 my dad was in charge of the squadron. I never knew this was why they were up there in the first place.
I was there when this happened (2/504th, 82nd). Pope had C-130’s, F-16’s, and A-10’s at the time of this accident. Well, I’m not sure if the A-10’s were permanently stationed at Pope, but there were almost always A-10’s at Pope and they used to do training at the ranges. (Occasionally even giving us CAS.). The C-141’s usually came from outside units, especially from Air National Guard units or, I believe, Seymour-Johnson AFB. I do remember frequently jumping from Air National Guard C-141’s though. While we used to wait (for hours and hours) at Greenramp, rigged up and waiting to load the aircraft, we joked that the pilots were probably still in bed at their hotels. The Air Force was playing with the idea of having a “composite wing” consisting of many different types of aircraft. I remember reading the report in the late 90’s and that was a factor leading up to the accident as well. Another factor was was the tight approach corridor that the aircraft had to use to land. IIRC, they could only take off from one certain runway as the residents in Spring Lake had complained for years about the noise. (Who moves next to an AFB and doesn’t expect there to be a lot of noise?). Ultimately, though, it was human error that played the final role.
@@michaela.6381 Reminds me of the Navy base I used to live next to, everyone in the area knew their schedule, ran like clockwork.
So the real estate would always schedule inspections for the times they knew they wouldn't be flying or there was minimal air traffic.
People would move in then suddenly find out that the schedule included multiple weeknights of night time operations in various helicopters and they'd be jumping up down about it.
I enjoyed it, I do miss the low rumble of a C17 spooling up at 2300. Can hear/feel that off base with even with headphones on.
I'm surprised you didn't correct FH's pronunciation. It's FAY-ette-ville, not fay-ETTE-ville.
@@eywine.7762 We pronounced it “Fayet’nam”.
Sorry, I had to. :-)
Those that have been stationed there and even local residents will get the joke.
Although, from what I’ve seen on the internet, I probably wouldn’t even recognize Fayetteville these days. Definitely wouldn’t recognize Bragg, especially Division area, as it’s all brand new.
You have remained so consistent in your videos and I truly appreciate it! You tell these stories with respect, facts, and great details of the before and after. I wish you all the success in the world!
There are other channels that try to cover disasters, but none do so as respectfully and matter of factly as this channel does, and the other channels just seem to have the wrong tone in comparison.
That gentlemans description of the incident was so detailed and vivid. Horrifically so. 😮
Yes, he pretty much nailed it. The only correction I noted was when he says there were several “Divisions” at Greenramp, he should’ve said “Battalions”, but everything else was pretty spot on. Luckily, our entire battalion (2/504th) wasn’t on that jump that day. IIRC, some companies were out in the field doing EIB training, but we still had quite a few on it to “fill chutes”.
The size of infantry units, from smallest to largest, (plus their support elements) are:
Team > Squad > Platoon > Company > Battalion > Brigade (or Regiment) > Division > Corps > Army
I'd not heard about this before, I can't imagine the horror experienced by the pilots and air traffic control, unable to prevent such a tragedy unfolding before their eyes. I hope all involved got the counselling needed.
Many of our guys spent many months at the Army’s burn center in San Antonio recovering.
@Michael A. I had no doubt the army had provided excellent medical care, and physiotherapy, to those who were injured. I'm glad to have just read that counselling was provided to those who witnessed and survived. The psychological toll is all too often ignored.
My thoughts too
@@michaela.6381 Thank you for your service, sir
@@reachandler3655 In addition to the memorial services that we had for the soldiers we lost, social services were also made available for anyone that wanted them.
I arrived to Bragg in 2005 and jumped for the next 10 years. Many of my senior non-comissioned officers were present during this incident. Soldiers were no longer allowed out of the buildings to wait for aircraft to try and prevent another incident like this from happening. Good video.
Wow, they stopped having everyone just wait on Greenramp? We spent hours and hours sitting and waiting on Greenramp after getting geared up and JMPI’d.
Seems sensible.
Makes sense. If the assembly area at Green Ramp had simply been enclosed instead of open, a lot of lives would have been saved that day. I'd say that the fundamental cause was having a mass of soldiers that close to the flight line when they didn't need to be.
@@rdfox76 Although I wasn't at Green Ramp on that day (I was at Bragg though) , I had been there many times for jumps. There was an enclosed section, and it was the part adjacent to the tarmac. When the F-16 hit the C-141, it bounced over the building and hit the area behind it, where the airplane and landing mock-ups were, which were used for practice before donning the parachutes (in the building). No soldiers were allowed to wait outdoors between the building and the tarmac, so soldiers were not too close to the flight line.
My granddaughter was in airborne stationed there 2011.
That chaplain wrote the most amazing journal of this disaster.
So much respect for this man.
I remember a few years ago when this was such a small but well-made channel. Over a million subs is great! 🎉😊 Congrats on such an accomplishment!
I get more information from these videos than I do a full hour long documentary. Keep up the good work.
"Everyone from both planes survived" oh this will be a tamer one "the airmen didn't know they were misted with jet fuel and rushed to help putting out fires catching on fire themselves"
Human error is a difficult thing to prevent. It's very sad that a trainee was working basically without instruction until it was too late. I remember when this happened. We were stationed in Virginia Beach and this was all over the news. RIP to those who died in this horrific accident.
I had been at green ramp just prior to this accident while being deployed to Italy for a military training exercise. I remember when this happened well.
Thank you for making these videos. There are so many disasters and accidents like these that I never heard of, and you're doing a great job shining a spotlight on how these came to be
Firstly, my condolences for the victims of this tragedy
Secondly, I hadn't realized just how much closed captions contribute to this experience for me, as someone who's second language is English and had better reading skills than listening skills, so I hope a lack of these won't become common
This story was the definition of a fascinating horror.
th-cam.com/users/shortsBmc9NFfhx74?feature=share
Great work as always! Yeesh, these guys were not expecting a warzone in their own backyard. Gotta hand it to the responders on this one, the fatality/injury rate sounds like it could have been much much worse.
The first initial responders were us, taking care of our own instinctively. We also were doing a lot of training at the time in preparation for Haiti, which I’m sure played a factor as well.
2/504th, 82d
Having every person who was initially at the scene trained in at least basic first aid likely saved a lot of lives. One of the reasons why I feel that first aid should be a mandatory class at the high school and college levels.
What a horrible disaster! I don't remember hearing about this when it happened. I had 3 year old twins so I didn't listen to the news much! Thanks for bringing us these stories.
I've heard of this accident before, but I also don't remember hearing about it when it happened. But I had just gotten out of the Air Force and was taking college classes at the time.
I was going through a heartbreaking divorce and was oblivious to all else. Ironically, my granddaughter was stationed at Fort Bragg in airborne in 2011.
I was stationed at McGuire AFB at the time of this accident. The C141 on the ground that the F16 collided with was our bird. That aircraft was known as Stubby. It had a history of odd and unusual events, as I was told. Many years prior to this accident, a crew chief died on Stubby when he was climbing up through the T tail ladder. When he was halfway through the T tail hatch, somehow the aircraft hydraulics were turned on and the steering yoke was moved, causing the T tail to pivot. When this happened, the crew chief was cut in half. Odd events happened there after.
Several of my friends from McGuire were there for this exercise. One of my friends was on the flight deck of Stubby when he saw the ball of flame coming towards him. He jumped off and escaped just in time. Another friend was on the aircraft to the left of Stubby. He was exiting the aircraft just as the collision happened. A large piece of debris took the aircraft ladder right out from under his feet. It narrowly missed taking off his foot. Moments after the F16 collision with the C141, my friends, who were the ground crew, exercised emergency towing of the two aircraft to either side of Stubby, which was a smoldering wreck at that point. As I recall, they moved both aircraft to safe locations in about 15 minutes. Unusually, a towing operation takes 30-40 minutes for one aircraft. I believe they all received accommodations for their actions that day.
The aircraft to the left to Subby received structural damage to the airframe. They patched it, but the damage prevented that aircraft from flying above 10,000 feet. My last detail while I was active was to sit on that aircraft and prevent others from stealing parts off of it unauthorized.
Rest in Peace to those we tragically lost that day.
I was stationed at Fort Bragg 82nd Airborne Division. I used to go through Green Ramp all the time.
Tuesday is always off to a good start when Fascinating Horror drops a video
I was stationed here shortly thereafter with the aeromedical evacuation squadron. It has definitely left a lasting impact on everyone there.
These days Pope AFB is now Pope Army Airfield as Fort Bragg took over most of the functions, though the USAF still flies C17's in for training and transport.
Thank you so much for making this video.
It means a lot. ❤️❤️
I showed my mom this, and she cried because there aren't many people who know about this or even know what happened.
Thank you again!!
I am proud to be the son of a man who served his country.
Harry Lanakila Momoa Jr.
A father & husband husband who loved his family very much.
This is by far my favorite part of having Tuesday's off of work. I get to get up, make a nice breakfast and enjoy this weeks new FH video.
Me too, except for me it’s a light supper snack before bed - so a really nice way to end my day off on Tuesdays 💕
Wow, Tuesday nite already? I'm currently in Illinois, USA and it's just now going on 5am, Tues morning.
I hope your Tuesday has went well. I will not know how mine goes until it actually happens. 😂😂However, with a new 'Fascinating Horror' episode to watch it, I have to say it is starting out pretty well!!
Wishing you a good night!
@@gNOme_5 currently nearly 9:20pm here in Melbourne, Australia. It’s been a pretty good day. I hope you have a good day too 💕
Also a Fayetteville native and I still remember this day vividly. Down to the song that was playing on my car radio when they broke in tell us about the accident. I worked with children and all of us teachers wondered if any of the children's parents were killed.
The F-16 has a single main engine, therefore it utilizes an Emergency Power Unit, EPU. EPUs are small jet engines that provide startup and Emergency power. The EPU on the F-16 is special, it is fueled by Hydrazine. Hydrazine can catch on fire when it touches your skin, crews wear head to toe covering while even handling the fuel, it is that dangerous.
I remember this very well. I was the on-scene public affairs representative for Pope. Horrible accident with many people, both Army and Air Force, stepping up to help the many injured personnel.
I grew up in eastern NC and had never heard of this. Thanks as always for your thorough and compassionate work, FH.
Same
I was wondering why I was struggling to follow the story with this one, then realised there's no CC included with this one! You usually have CC at the ready and just goes to show how important it is. (And thank you so much for it.)
I have another topic for you that involved military aviation collision: Operation Eagle Claw. On 25 April 1980, a rescue operation was launched to liberate 52 American hostages in Tehran, Iran, but en route the helicopters encountered a haboob, a giant sand storm, half of the helicopters had to turn back, due to damage suffered during the flight. After reaching their first checkpoint, which was suppose to be a deserved highway, American troops were spotted by a bus with passengers, and were taken prisoner, then came two fuel trucks, they refused to stop, so a marine shot one of the trucks with a rocket launcher, killing the driver but the passenger managed to escape, and got on the other petrol truck escaping into the night. Realising the operation has been compromised, American forces knew they had to hurry, so began a refueling operation by flying the helicopters over to the EC-130s parked on the desert, but doing so stirred up the sand causing a brownout, one of the helicopters got too close, the rotors clipped the plane's rudder causing it to crash into the fuel plane, leading to a massive fiery explosion. Eight US servicemen were killed in the disaster, they were forced to abandon the helicopters, and escaped on one of the planes, but they also left behind classified documents, that compromised operatives in Iran, who were later executed on orders from Khomeini, the Iranians then scattered the hostages around secret locations, making another rescue mission impossible. There were political consequences too, the Carter administration took a serious hit in the polls, although Carter took responsibility for the fiasco, the damage was done, leading to the 1980 election with Ronald Reagan winning the presidency, the hostages were later released, unfortunately, the US servicemens' bodies were never recovered, from this disaster came the mantra for US special operations "No man left behind".
I'd like to see you cover the "operation babylift" from Vietnam in the early 70s. From what I understand an overloaded Hercules with hundreds of fleeing Vietnamese perished in an American military crash
Nah it was a C-5A Galaxy which suffered a rapid decompression after the locks of the rear loading ramp failed. This resulted in severe loss of control and eventually led to a crash
There’s an excellent video of it by Disaster Breakdown. I’ll edit this comment to add the link later
Imagine if everyone put as much effort into safety as this base did. Drills taken seriously, coordination with relevant community resources, quick response that isn't affected by mass panic or ignorance because everyone feels prepared to deal with emergencies.
I had 3rd degree burns on my chest from an ied. At first I didnt even know I was on fire. Later when my gear came off, they had to cut off my shirt underneath. Skin was stickung to it. They gave me surgery and removed all the burned skin and then pulled the skin above and below together and stitched it all together and cut new holes in the skin for my nipples. I have a half inch thick scar from armpit to armpit. That shit hurtduring the recovery, but I was back to normal after a month. Had to stop combat job when I lost my left eye, tho. Stab wound. I kinda think its cool , bc of how it happened. But to be languishing with burns for 9 months, not from combat but from an accident? Thats too much. RIP to all those who perished that day.
The cruel irony that an ill-fated training exercise led to the death and injury of so many personnel who were only in that location on the ground because they were also training, but the response was so good because of how well they and the hospital had trained for mass casualty events. It's like this whole incident just occurred within its own little bubble, which I guess is true of anything like this where it's wholly contained within an Air Force Base or equivalent facility. Just feels especially true here.
Exellent video, and cogratulations on 1 million subscribers! Well deserved.
Can I just say that hearing “This was a terrible disaster, but it was far better than it might have been because there were protocols in place that were actually followed” is such a great refresher?
I get that it was caused by negligence and mistakes as well, but usually the cause of the disaster and terrible handling of the rescue/management of the disaster tend to happen in pairs. At least one side of this disaster showed people who were prepared, and fewer died as a result.
Although there were several events causing the incidents, this is one of few covered on this channel in which the aftermath was actually well coordinated and managed. Usually we hear things like breakdowns in communication, poorly trained responders, inadequate equipment, etc….. Thanks to trainings and preparation this wasn’t any worse. Unfortunately, to this day the US still uses an outdated air traffic management system relying on paper strips and controllers using binoculars to spot and identify aircraft where most of the developed countries in the world are using computers, HD camera all over runaway and other modern tech.
Awesome. Please keep these articles coming. Haven't heard from you in a while.
Best way to spend a Tuesday night! Thanks for every single video you've made!
fellow kiwi/aussie? :D
Its 10.40am here
Yes it Tuesday Knight here too in Newcastle 🇦🇺
Perfect timing for a Sydney evening 😊 Thanks for another great/horrifying video 👍
@@gangstagarf 🇦🇺
I was in A Co 261st ASMB at the time. Just a couple months back from our rotation in Somalia, was supposed to be a low key training cycle day. Thank God above a sister med unit (28th CSH?) was conducting a mass casualty drill nearby when this happened. They really stepped up to the plate that day. So did all the folks directing us when we got to Womac in our ambulances. Allowed us to focus on the patients.
Congrats on 1 million! all of us OGs knew it would happen.
Thank you for this and all your other video clips F.H. I will watch this later on!
Do you have a cut off for incidents that are too recent to cover? I was at the Shoreham airshow crash that happened like 8 years ago now and I think that would be an interesting one to cover
I don't think so - he covered the Smiler rollercoaster crash at Alton Towers and that was only a few weeks before Shoreham. Summer of 2015 wasn't a great time to be out and about 😬 So I don't think he'd have a problem covering it, at least in terms of how recently it happened.
I'd guess the only limits would be events still being investigated due to potential legal issues
Kudos to everyone on the ground as they did everything correctly! If only every disaster were handled so well!! As for the people who screwed up in the tower, shame on them! That poor trainee was literally thrown into a situation by people who didn't care and now the trainee has to live with the guilt for the rest of their life even though, technically they are guilty of nothing. They tried their best with the little training they had. Another fine example of how higher-ups' indifference and willingness to pass the buck can end in disaster! RIP to these poor people!
Retired USAF here. This was a difficult era in USAF history. The controllers were only partly to blame - top USAF leadership was of firm opinion that fighter pilots could do no wrong. F-16 pilot doesn't check pattern, crash into C-130, kill 24, blame the tower controllers (who had asked for training for multiple airframe ops but were turned down). This is squarely due to top leadership wanting 'composite wings'; moving aircraft around without training the Airmen for these kind of multiple-airframe type operations. F-15s shoot down 2 US Army Blackhawks, kill 26 - blame the AWACS controller (despite the fact that the F-15s made visual passes & decided that the Blackhawks were Iraqi Hinds). Nope, it was the AWACS fault that the F-15 pilots pulled the trigger. Fighter pilot Wing Commander ignores standards & has airfield grass cut short, which attracts geese, E-3 hits gees on takeoff, crash kills 24. Thank God for Ron Fogleman putting an end to this lunacy.
I agree with this. Both this incident and the Blackhawk disaster in Iraq point to extreme negligence in some pilots, which was made worse by leadership giving them a pass for literally anything. The Tarnak Farm incident in Afghanistan, where a trigger-happy idiot in an American F16 killed 4 Canadian soldiers and wounded 8 more after being ordered to NOT fire, is another tragic example.
I really look forward to Tuesday mornings because there’s a new video from your channel. :)
I was a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne. I know this Green Ramp area well.
This was a truly horrible situation, like many my heart breaks. As a child I had contracted a severe case of Strep-pneumonia. I spent a solid month living inside a tented off area. About another month before I was finally released. I still remember how hard it was to simply breath, and it’s horrible.
It also really drives home just how vital that first responders, of whatever kind, are familiar and have prepared for the worst. Without the both the fort’s team and the local town’s FD practice for many scenarios, including the worst case. So many more lives would have been lost. Those exercises we occasionally see our local PD & FD, I know it looks like there’s taxes going to waste. I assure you, heaven forbid, that training may vary well save your life.
In times of crisis that ability, all those drills become one hundred percent vital. As everyone has to be working off the same page. So they can do their jobs.
I was working at the university of Arizona when a disgruntled nursing student came armed on campus to go after his instructors. The Tucson swat team and police and fire departments were just a few blocks away practicing for an emergency situation. When the news of the shooter came, those personnel were immediately sent to the university including the police department mobile command center van. I think this quick response saved lives of students, although 3 instructors were killed, sadly.
Yeah my brother was a member of the 82nd Airborne Division when this happened and this was also around the same time somebody goes crazy and becomes a sniper and shoots up a airborne company as they were doing PT.
Your content is some of the best on YT. Thank you for your content.
I spent a lot of time in that green ramp area back in the 80's. This hits hard.
Your videos just get more and more professional. Thanks for uploading.
Your mix-up between the term soldier and Airman is driving me insane! Great video though!
This happen fa few years before I arrived at Pope but I remember talking to a guy who was there when it happened. He heard the collision but dismissed. Thinking it was Bragg during exercises, but the second blast knocked him into the engine he was working on! He told me a F16 clipped a c 130 during landing. The c 130 was taking off when the F16 hit the wing. The c130 crew thought they hit turbulence. The pilot hit his engine hoping to lounch his fighter in a safe direction. But it came down on green ramp and hit a c141 while it was being loaded with paratroopers. He told me that the compressor shot off onto Fort Bragg and hit a shed and the guy working in there had just got up from his deck to get a file out of his filling cabinet. When the compressor shot through the back wall and took out his shair and his dexk. He also talked about how Pope was placed on lockdown and every available hand was sent down the flight for a FOD walk. Putting red flags next to everything they found. It was something he never forgot!
I was one of the DUSTOFF pilots that day. When I landed, along with the first group of Black Hawks, I was shocked at how devastated Green Ramp and the surrounding area were. It had only been a few minutes since the accident, and the F-16 was carrying some live ordinance which was cooking off causing more injuries. The smoke difficult for the ground responders to evacuate the wounded. Two trips to the UNC Chapel Hill burn center with 7 injured. I found out the next day none survived. It was a dark day for everyone
Congrats on 1 mil bro :) Good stuff!
This just goes to show that even in peacetime operations, our brave men and women that serve to protect our freedom risk their lives.
They aren't protecting anyone's freedom.
I used to work for CTAS in Waco, Texas. We had the task of rebuilding a C-141 that was peripherally involved with this mess. Somebody towed it away after burning fuel from the main planes involved ran under it, so it had a big hole4 burnt in its belly. We repaired it and it flew for a few more years but is now in the main boneyard display at the Pima museum. This plane is unmistakable due to the obvious repair work. It was a sad thing rebuilding this plane knowing what had happened but it's good that she's preserved. So go to Pima and see this thing.
Thank you and congratulations on 1 million subscribers, FH!
I feel for the trainee controller. Saw the problem, tried to prevent it (even though it was the wrong call sign), then all hell breaks loose. Puts the usual new job anxiety in perspective.
Using the wrong call sign is a "legit" mistake, especially if you're a trainee. It's not malevolent or sheer incompetence. His supervisor and the F16 pilot, on the other hand...
I was there that day. Just getting off of 5 ton truck at the rear of the ramp. The F16 ejections was the sound that made me look up. That and the pilot just before going to military power. It was loud. Because we were further back we got a slow motion scene of the entire event. Saw many fellow Paratroops engulfed in flames. We were running instantly. That was a long day. Trying to render first aid. Trying to move wreckage to search for guys. Slept for 24 hours afterwards out of shear exhaustion.
It's great that despite being such a horrific disaster, the emergency response was so quick and well-co-ordinated. So different from many other similar disasters that have occurred over the years.
That was a dark day for Pope Air Force base and Fort Bragg I remember hearing about the crash and worried about some friends of mine that were paratroopers in all my time in Fayetteville that was one of the worst things other than the death of my parents I remember
The most serious of the burn injured patients were taken to Brooks Army Hospital in San Antonio Texas for definitive care. Our squadron out of Scott AFB flying the C-9A Nightingale, was tasked with moving the patients. It was a long day.
I was the Flight Mech on the first C-9 out of Pope that day, headed to Kelly. It was an awful flight..
I was there. It was horrible. What saved many soldiers, in my opinion, was the fact that that it occurred at the home of Special Forces. Hundreds of Special Forces medics descended upon the scene, hospital and to where I took my “slightly” burned soldier in my Toyota 4Runner was the Special Forces medical training facility! Also, there was a second C-141 that was in danger of catching fire, paratroopers, some injured, PUSHED that aircraft out of danger themselves.
I hadn't heard of this before! I'm surprised. I was 11 years old then and always watched the news.
I never heard about this one before. Great video as always 🙏
i get excited for new content because i’ve literally watched everything else twice over
I know you normally cover lesser known disasters that were still catastrophic, but I think if you did a segment on the 2004 Sri Lanka train disaster, technically the deadliest train disaster in history, a lot of people would find it interesting and haven't heard of it. It happened during the 2004 tsunami, which is why I said it's technically considered a train disaster, but obviously the tsunami is what ended up killing the 1700 that died right outside the village of Peraliya. The village was wiped off the map after the tsunami, killing almost everyone in the coastal settlement. I hadn't ever heard of this incident until a few months ago. I think it'd be really dope if you did a video on it.
Never heared of this one before 👍
I didn't notice the year at first and wrongly assumed it was a little further in the past (because I'm listening while working) but when I heard the Chaplin recognized the sound from desert storm I was like...wow this wasn't that long ago. And it really hita different when it could have been your brother or cousin there
RIP to all the souls lost, and condolences to their loved ones. Great vid FH.
I was there that day. I witnessed the F-16 conducting an illegal VIKING maneuver. The F-16 hit the C130 that was just following the runway. They did that in mass landings and takeoffs. The Pilot used the afterburners to try and right the aircraft. Almost instantly, the pilot and back-seater ejected and the aircraft went in the direction of the Greenramp uncontrollably upside-down. It collided into the building and then careened into the C141 and a HUGE fireball erupted. I was on guard duty to the parachute shed. So, I couldn't do ANYTHING. I had to sit and watch everything unfold. I saw paratroopers lined up at the entrance of Pope Airforce Base but the guards wouldn't let them in. VERY SAD DAY. Thank you for your video. God Bless those who lost their life. They were from the 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment. I am in tears writing this.
can you elaborate what a VIKING manuver is? I was under the impression it was used for departures only (max performance).
@@ghostrider-be9ek Yes, the F-16 was departing. The C130 was overhead. Aircraft that was in mass landings, flew along the airstrip as one would land. The F-16 took off while this operation was being conducted. Usually, the F-16s would just do a normal ascension. It was like the F-16 forgot there were aircraft above him in formation.
A VIKING maneuver is when the aircraft shoots straight up for maximum altitude on takeoff.
So well done - thank you
I was at Bragg when that happened. An NCO from my platoon was down at Green Ramp when it happened and helped with the casualties. His name was SGT. Cummings.
Loving the atmospheric setting of these episodes!
Wow. I had no idea this had even happened. What a devastating tragedy for all involved.
I lived in Fayetteville, just outside Bragg and Pope, for almost 9 years, and I'd never heard of this. Thanks for sharing :)
I had just left Bragg before that happened and got word immediately. Realistically a lot more men and women could have easily died, we were lucky. Green Ramp in the morning has up to 1000's rotating through on any given time. Womack did not have the equipment to handle this so most went to Brook or Fitzsimmons. My recent stay at the Denver VA I recognized the burn hoist equipment in the rooms. Few hospitals are equipped with the ability to treat bad burns like a military hospital like Brook or Denver. Both Hospitals are used for joint service treatment today because they cover both air and ground troops and burns are common in both fields.
I’ve never heard of this accident. Thank you for bringing it to light for me. Such a horrible crash. R.I.P. to all the hero’s that past and love and prayers to the ones that made it but I’m sure have lived since with ptsd and or lots of surgery’s with many scar’s inside and out. ❤❤❤🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽❤️❤️❤️
I need one done on the E 2 club disaster in Chicago...
I wasn't far away in the motor pool that day. A PLDC chum was killed. I recorded the Eulogy at Ritz Epps Gym on VHS. Lieutenant Colonel's Stan McChrystal and Lloyd Austin (SecDef) did the speaking.
My Dad was a jump master in the 82nd when this happened. I'm not sure why he wasn't there or if he had friends there and he never got into details with us. I remember after the crash and clean up there was a road by green ramp that he drove me down and you would see a burnt hole in the tree line where the wreckage ended up.
It's always shocking to hear other people who were either there personally or lost someone in the accident.
I wonder if your father knew my dad.
My dad was killed in the tragedy.
He wasn't even supposed to be there.
He filled in for a buddy who couldn't do the jump in order to, oddly enough, go to Womack for his wife's emergency delivery.
Excellent. Thank you.
My husband was in the 82nd from 1983-88. He ha pictures of how troops would line up one behind the other with each leaning back on the others rucksack.
With all the gear they wore it would make it extremely difficult to "run".
This was a horrible day for our military.
That time of the week. Thank you.
I'm at Fort Bragg, NC right now, 3rd Brigade 82nd Airborne Division. With all the "jumping" that goes on here, I've never even heard of this. Btw I live in the barracks not even 2 miles away from "Green Ramp". We usually assemble at "Pax Shed 2" for jumps, and wait there for a good number of hours. I just find it to be interesting that I've never heard of this incident although it happened like 5 mins away at a place I go to all the time to do jumps and other things. I'm on my 3rd year here and getting out of the Army in October. It'll always be interesting to hear these kinds of stories having literally lived the paratrooper lifestyle there for a few years, and I know of exactly every place described in this video despite never having heard of this incident.
Thank you for all you do for us
How disturbed is it that I do a little dance every time this music comes on?