us. After the explosion and the rounds stopped going off, he whispered in my Another airman, Sgt. . Both planes exploded in flames, hurling searing-hot metal through After much effort, three. A pair of C-141 Starlifters, aircraft not usually based at Pope but Green Ramp Catastrophe, 23 March 1994 (hereafler cited as Bebber Memo). That was important. He repeatedly hopped from the platform, perfecting a landing technique that distributes the shock of a parachute landing. Flames and wreckage covered the landscape as far as he could see through the smoke. and one of the guys was keeping them down, trying to keep them calm. Tommy Caldwell, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Pvt. Facing death and destruction, officials would later say that the military and supporting civilians experienced one of their finest hours coming together to save countless lives. It killed twenty-four members of the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne Division preparing for an airborne training operation.[1][2][3]. "It shows us that training (such as common task, basic first aid and Flames and wreckage covered the landscape as far as he could see through the smoke. The chaos in the aftermath of the fireball happened within a matter of five or ten minutes, soldiers recalled. Numerous Army tactical ambulances with medical teams were immediately dispatched from the 55th Medical Group and 23rd Medical Group (USAF) to ferry the injured to Womack Army Medical Center. Diagram of the Green Ramp Disaster which occurred on 23 March, 1994 at Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina. He was on all fours with his head ducked down, his arms under him and this on their own initiative. He knelt down and used his top to try smother the fire, but fed by fuel covering the soldier, the flames kept reigniting. In a large-scale disaster such as the Great East Japan Earthquake, it can be expected that survivors will be living in temporary housing for a prolonged period of time. Gus Siettas of the 2d Battalion, 504th Infantry, said: "If One of the vendors was on fire, and a soldier standing over him rescuers he was helping. He and a friend Others headed in the opposite direction. He tried to help those who were injured around him. fighter's emergency power unit, which later was found near the center of the He "dragged people to safety, patted out fires, 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. Once the fireball passed over the paratroopers, another danger became evident. Most of the soldiers didnt see the crash. January 17, 2023 at 10:13 am CST. Disaster on Green Ramp : the Army's response / Show other versions (1) Bibliographic Details; Main Author: Condon-Rall, Mary Ellen, 1938-(Author) Format: . [36] As quoted Porter and Rasmussen, "Heroes of Green Ramp," p. 5. orange glow, surrounded by "smudgy black smoke." What follows is a play-by-play of the Green Ramp Disaster, compiled from investigative reports, interviews, Observer archives and military accounts. James C. Howard, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Sgt. [3], From a small platform in front of the trailers, S. Sgt. One was hanging halfway out of the hummer, his arms stretched out, almost like he was crucified.". the day's manifest were the 82d Airborne Division's 504th Infantry, 505th Sgt. But it also was inspiring. burst into flames." A debris-filled fireball, estimated to be some 75-feet in diameter, tore through the waiting soldiers. I recognized the sound from my Instructors from the neighboring jumpmaster school, Special Forces medics who happened to be attending the school and soldiers with the 44th Medical Brigade who were training nearby rushed to the scene to offer aid. black, covered with soot. The wreckage of the F-16 punctured the fuel tanks in the C-141's right wing, causing a large fireball, which combined with the F-16 wreckage and continued on a path taking it between Building 900 and the pax shed, directly into the area where the mass of Army paratroopers were sitting and standing. I looked to my left and there was a man on fire. Some found safety. situation, but they were never overcome by it." Other chaplains joined Bebber in praying and listening I did and took off running. located under the trees near the number 2 C-141 mock-up. [9], Captain Godfrey, who had been talking to Rich just before tne explosion, was Michael T. Kelley, of 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, was rehearsing his landing from a short platform near a group of trailers. were on fire. names were called, the soldiers moved out to the chalk lines at the far end of about 5 feet of where I was standing. The accident began with a mid-air collision between an F-16D and a C-130E at approximately 300 feet above ground. 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. requesting units from five specific fire departments and their equipment, the With his bare hands he tried to extinguish the James M. Walters Jr., A Company, 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Sgt. . [15] "They Helped Victims When No One Else Could," Fayetteville Most did not. 2:10:50 Pope: Fayetteville Pope, the runways closed, oh my God! [32], Limited triage occurred at the crash site because of the fires and exploding It was a nightmare. And they wore no protective gear. reattach the severed leg.[19]. All around him, Bebber became aware of the dead. frankincense perfume recipe. In the torrent of flame, I saw pieces of wreckage and machinery hurling along. He described the heat as being inside of a microwave, with the flames carrying a low-pitched roar not unlike a blow torch. As a result, "a camaraderie . 12-inch high concrete slab that constituted the simu lated floor of the C-14 1 Others formed assembly lines in the area between the cargo shed . Hundreds of 82nd Airborne Division Paratroopers were preparing to conduct airborne training on Mar. Green Ramp disaster : Wikis (The Full Wiki) The American Red Cross, in partnership with WLKY: Western Kentucky Disaster Relief Fundraiser (you can also text REDCROSS to 90999 to donate $10 . Capt. Hewas burned over 45 percent of his body in the Green Ramp accident, and 20 years later, he is still serving. His friend was badly burned but still alive. [14] As quoted in Pat Reese, "'A Huge Fireball Rolled at Us,"' 2023 www.fayobserver.com. Cowper helped about five or six Military Personnel. Kelley suffered burns on 70 percent of his body, He fell unconscious as he approached Womack Army Medical Center at Fort Bragg. . His Then Clapp, who was still on fire, was tackled by a fellow soldier in an attempt to put out the flames. The Hercules touched The soldiers wore only their battle dress uniforms and boots. Staff Sgt. In the torrent of flame I saw pieces of 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***. scheduled to jump that day. together to prevent further injury. even casualties. 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. The Monday, survivors, their family members, and family of the fallen, reunited to commemorate the Green Ramp disaster and support the victims. As of 2022, this incident remains the largest loss of non-passenger life in the accidental crash of an aircraft on U.S. soil. In the confusion at the site."[40]. how hard you patted you couldn't get the fire out." email. airfield where aircraft are parked and does not include the paratroopers' small open area beside the pack shed. including the area from his chin to his nose. Then somebody roaring sound like that of a blow torch. At any instant [Rich] expected to Every year since, survivors come on their own to visit the site, including Jay. "I had a best friend at the time. To the Air Force, Green Ramp was officially the portion of the airfield located west and south of the main runway where aircraft were parked to await missions. Waddington "Doe" Sanchez, a combat medic with the 2d Another soldier, Sgt. Twenty-four years ago, Fort Bragg suffered one of the deadliest accidents in its 100-year history. Bebber, the chaplain, described it as a scene from hell.. But Clapp, like many others, did not make it to safety. Paratroopers at the scene pulled troopers from the flames and the exploding 20mm (0.8in) ammunition from the F-16. 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. Estella Wingfield, 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. and the winds were moderate, 4 to 6 knots. They gave him intravenous fluids to prevent shock and Naeyaert fell unconscious a second time. Army users, however, traditionally refer to the. Base at 1438, eight minutes after notification, and departed for Womack with two roaring rush of fire entered my sight above and to the left of the pack shed. But there would be no jump that day. "[38], Lt. Gen. Henry H. Shelton, the commanding general of the XVIII Airborne Jake T. Naeyaert Jr. of 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment also tried to outrun the explosion. Something hit [1] come his way." He yelled for everyone to get down or out of the way. We could have followed that F-16 onto Green Ramp, he said. Kenneth J. Golla, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Staff Sgt. Instructors, The last thing he saw before he fell unconscious was the hospitals flagpole. 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. Gregory R. Norrid of the 1 st Battalion, 58th Aviation, who ran back ramp, now in my line of sight I could see a parked C-141 engulfed in flames. Skyshroud Claim is a four mana green sorcery that searches for two Forests in your library and puts them into play untapped. I then tried to get as flat against the ground and as close to the concrete as I could. to the jumpmaster school. to help them.". parallel line. 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. Joel Myers, was the engineer. transfer of casualties from Womack to other facilities. gate and into a high mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicle (HMMWV), referred to Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of loved ones lost. 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. Behind the area, several concrete mock-ups of the backs of Air Force cargo aircraft had been constructed, where troops could rehearse their drop procedures. (Combat)(Airborne), to Chaplain, XVIII Airborne Corps and Fort Bragg, Fort then used a penknife to remove the buckle, as well as to cut offthe soldier's He tried not to get sand on the soldier's left leg, which flying Honored for Heroism During Pope AFB Tragedy Last Year," Korus Monthly, Ammunition from the F-16 20 mm chain gun rounds began cooking off in the intense heat. plywood stretcher and into the back of a Humvee. It was also the worst peacetime . Gustavo Gallardo, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Spc. [28] Interv, Lt Col Iris J. Rich, a logistics officer with the 525th Military Intelligence Brigade, was to be the primary jumpmaster for the operation. flames on his arm and then assisted an injured husband and wife team who were A Trivial Matter Originally constituted as the 82nd Division following the American entry into World War 1, The 82nd Airborne Division was organized on August 25, 1917, at Camp Gordon, Georgia . On March 23, 1994 twenty-two years ago today under a beautiful blue North Carolina sky, tragedy struck Pope Air Force base in Fayetteville. [26] As quoted in Michael Adams, "Debris Rips Paratroopers," Fayetteville (Photo by Action Captures Media Group) By Doug Spoon, Edi. combat lifesaving) is there for a reason. Captain Rich and other rescuers lift another injured soldier onto a makeshift Squadron, which supported the 23d Wing on Pope Air Force Base, answered the call Rolling remembered that he had left the C-141 mock-up and was about 20 feet from the pax his left arm. ran along the mock-ups onto the soldier's back and successfully quenched the Two airborne operations were scheduled for March 23, 1994. through the trees." While Raices was stabilizing the plane, Gerlach saw the F-16 just feet from the C-130s wing tip. safety review by the jumpmaster, Fletcher heard people screaming. This would be the exact path the fireball would take once the nearby C-141 was struck. it year after year, but . Both F-16 crewmembers ejected, but their aircraft, still on full afterburner, continued on an arc towards Green Ramp. ground. A few feet away, another soldier was burning. The paratroopers had gathered on the staging area known as Green Ramp, [1] staging area. No. Daniel E. Price of the 2d Battalion, 505th Infantry, sacrificed his distressed cargo shed and into the training sector,[20] where he saw injured their chutes on. Both were miraculously saved, though the legs of A few feet away Rich helped another soldier put out 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. These medics were among the first on scene and provided crucial assistance to the injured. flames. medical platoon leader. Godfrey took three strides and hunkered down behind a tree, on all fours with this head ducked down and his arms under him. There were barely any winds to speak of. [19] The narrative on Chaplain Bebber in this and the following paragraph, At 2:30 p.m., he was to go over the jump with his paratroopers. Alan D. Miller, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Staff Sgt. His writing has appeared in The National Interest and other news media. Both F-16 crew members ejected, but their aircraft, still on full afterburner, continued on an arc toward Green Ramp. one of the first to see the explosion General Assembly of North Carolina, Senate Joint Resolution 1100 (1995): This page was last edited on 26 September 2022, at 14:29. The Green Ramp disaster was a 1994 mid-air collision and subsequent ground collision at Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina. After putting out the flames on one soldier, After their Timothy J. Gavaghan of the 82d Airborne Division's Headquarters and [12] Interv, Lt Col Iris J. recalled Kelley. it went forward. Capt. Estella Wingfield of the 525th Military Intelligence Brigade. Capt. 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. students, Joint Special Operations Command medics, trained medical personnel Unbeknownst to him at the time, though, Richs backside was on fire. Tech. 1, Fort Bragg, 4 Apr wreckage and machinery hurling along. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The chapter title is taken from Cameron Porter and Shannon Rasmussen, "The . A few feet away, another soldier was burning. Soldiers ran in to take They're in trouble and we need Instead, he lived through the Green Ramp disaster, one of the U.S. military's worst peacetime accidents. Kelleys back was to the airfield when he heard a noise and turned in time to see the C-141 explode. The Green Ramp disaster was a 1994 mid-air collision and subsequent ground collision at Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina. He was "It seemed irrelevant," The two soldiers had never met before the disaster. "He saved my life," she said.[22]. from the back of him to the front. The aircraft were on short final approach to runway 23 at an altitude of about 300 feet (90m) above ground level. It was the worst peacetime loss of life suffered by the division since the end of World War II. The combined efforts of five fire trucks succeeded in an unspoken understanding. He saw an While the rescuers tried to site and then moved to the morgue at Womack. designated for Fort Bragg's airborne exercises, sat on the tarmac about 75 feet military and civilian fire chiefs, helped the fire departments to respond Bee Jay Cearley, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Pfc. A personnel shed ("pax shed," a large open-bay building) sat next to Building 900, which the Army used to prepare troops for parachute drops. That loss could have been even greater were it not for the quick actions of soldiers helping soldiers. Most did not. He dropped and rolled again before a nearby soldier jumped on top of him in an attempt to smother the flames. But no one paid attention. West with Firefighters No. soldiers. He likened the sound to "heavy Some found safety. Burns covered 70 percent of his body. But Raices quickly took control of the plane. Emergencies. him, he lay on the asphalt with his hands over his face. Gibbs also helped move the The paratroopers used the mock-ups, each positioned on a Rich and Godfrey gained over him, and they called for a third person. the Special Forces, who were in the jumpmaster school that day; members of Fort "I remember thinking, 'What the hell was that?' A small amount of hydrazine had leaked from the Someone helped him out the the blast, felt the extreme heat from the explosion and the debris falling on . slow, or tripped over equipment, or had no place to go. Green Ramp contained the firemen could hook up to each other's systems and work together. I then tried to get as flat against the ground and as close to the concrete as I could. was a man "burning like a human torch." Some cut and torn. He expected to burst into flames. came to help him. On impact, the F-16 pilot applied full afterburner to try to recover the aircraft, but it began to disintegrate, showering debris on the runway and a road that ran around it. knocked him to the ground. May 1995, p. 10. Ladder 10 linked hoses with a fire truck from Spring Lake Fire Department; It was also the worst peacetime loss of life suffered by the division since the end of World War II. (Airborne). 3-foot-high platform, for rehearsing aircraft exits, as well as the smaller [7] Memo, Capt Gerald K. Bebber, Chaplain, 525th Military Intelligence I remember. Some braced themselves behind metal containers that offered protections. Their helmets were at their sides. as he turned and looked, he saw "fire in the air and debris starting to Within 20 minutes, the fire was under control. Kelley, 25 May 94 (hereafter cited as Kelley Interv). did not evacuate any casualties. West with Capts James B. containers on one side and the snack bar and mock-ups on the other side. The Green Ramp disaster was a 1994 mid-air collision and subsequent ground collision at Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina. explosion the security police secured the gate to keep vehicles from entering The collision was captured in transcripts of recorded air-to-ground and air-to-air communications from over Pope Air Force Base. And another was to follow in the evening. Firefighters from Fort Bragg and nearby Cumberland County arrived within six to fifteen minutes of the crash. They included instructors from the jumpmaster school; medics from He saw flames and But for survivor Shawn O'Hara, the story didn't . shock.[21]. Patients were sent to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center, Highsmith-Rainey Hospital and UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill. with "a wrap of some kind," and another person started pouring water To prevent the stood up and scattered in several directions after the explosion. this type of accident had occurred in a civilian airport, it's likely that 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. He moved forward to help "We some "TA-50"individual equipment-issued items, helmets, While the other rescuer stayed with the badly burned soldier, Rich walked 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. He stood up and saw thick black smoke, soldiers on fire, and people racing Martin R. Lumbert, D Company, 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Spc. Staff Sgt. the fireball approaching. at the level of the second mock door when he started running. Green Ramp hit him: The number of wounded was almost overwhelming. others came to him and put the flames out. Gary Gerlach was part of a four-man aircrew in a C-130 over Pope Air Force Base. [31] Interv, Lt Col Iris J. About 10 feet away one soldier was "already the death-color of gray," soldiers attended airborne classes, held at the jumpmaster school. Infantry, and 782d Support Battalion (Main), as well as the XVIII Airborne from nonmedical units, and Air Force personnel, who either had witnessed the ammunition from the fighter), the numerous Other soldiers already had their parachutes. Nearby, another man was burning like a human torch.. It killed twenty-four members of the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne Division preparing for an airborne training operation. Others, soaked in airplane fuel, unknowingly caught themselves on fire as they tried to help extinguish the flames covering their fellow soldiers. My story begins in June of 1994 when the 9th Air Force commander released the accident investigation report. [12], Soldiers of the 2d Battalion, 504th Infantry, who were listening to the Part of the 2nd Airlift Squadron, Gerlach was a loadmaster on the plane being flown by Capt. The C-130 landed safely, but the fighter jet hurtled toward a C-141 airplane parked on the Green Ramp, where troops were preparing for a jump. this situation there were a lot of other people who did what I did," he Force Base clinic and later transported to Womack. Six other medevac helicopters, belonging to the Jonathan C. Gibbs III, a chaplain for the 159th Aviation Group, saw the huge fireball burst through the trees dotting Green Ramp. Godfrey, 14 Apr 94 (hereafler cited as Rich and Godfrey Interv). The "1st up" aircraft arrived at Pope Air Force I recognized the sound from my experience in battle in Desert Storm. to the accounts of those who felt like talking. The Green Ramp disaster was a 1994 midair collision and subsequent ground collision at Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina. Once the fireball passed over the paratroopers, another danger became evident. He woke up as soldiers were loading him onto a 2-and-a-half-ton truck for evacuation to the hospital. Harry L. Momoa Jr., C Company, 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Staff Sgt. mock-up directly to my front and in between me and the oncoming fireball. Sqn Ldr Pete Batson and Wg Cdr Mike Heath caught an Iraqi Air Force Mirage Read More, While deployed to Japan, the highly maneuverable, multi-role F-16s will work in conjunction with Kadena-based Read More, Secretary Frank Kendall recently said that given Chinas growing reach with precision missiles, the USAF Read More, In the early hours of Jan. 17, 1991, a dozen USAF MH-53J Pave Low III Read More, Secret Squirrel remained classified until Jan. 16, 1992, when the aircrew members and maintainers who Read More, A number of Sukhoi Su-35 Flanker fighter jets will be delivered to Iran from Russia Read More, Vipers join Raptors, Eagles at Kadena: F-16CM jets from Spangdahlem support the on-going phased return of Kadenas fleet of F-15C/D aircraft to the US, USAF needs Stealth Tankers to Survive Chinese Missiles, Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall Says, Iranian lawmaker says Russia will begin delivery of Su-35 fighter jets to Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force from March, MiG Eater!
Is Miles Taylor Married,